System, method, and apparatus for settlement for participation in an electric power grid

ABSTRACT

Systems, methods, and apparatus embodiments for electric power grid and network registration and management of physical and financial settlement for participation of active grid elements in supply and/or curtailment of power. Settlement is provided for grid elements that participate in the electric power grid following initial registration of each grid element with the system, preferably through network-based communication between the grid elements and a coordinator, either in coordination with or outside of an IP-based communications network router. A multiplicity of active grid elements function in the grid for supply capacity, supply and/or load curtailment as supply or capacity, and are compensated through settlement for their functional participation in the electric power grid. Also, messaging related to settlement is managed through a network by a Coordinator using IP messaging for communication with the grid elements, with the energy management system (EMS), and with the utilities, market participants, and/or grid operators.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/694,135, filed Nov. 25, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 15/720,378, filed Sep. 29, 2017 and issued as U.S.Pat. No. 10,497,074, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/518,323, filed Oct. 20, 2014 and issued as U.S. Pat. No.9,779,461, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/292,393, filed May 30, 2014 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,996,418,which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/193,654filed Feb. 28, 2014 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,768,799, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/050,329 filed Oct.9, 2013 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,706,584, which is a continuationof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/888,839, filed May 7, 2013 andissued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,595,094, which is a divisional of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/746,703 filed Jan. 22, 2013 and issued as U.S.Pat. No. 8,583,520, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/659,564 filed Oct. 24, 2012 and issued as U.S. Pat. No.8,849,715, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of electrical powermanagement systems, and more particularly, to systems, methods, andapparatus embodiments for electric power grid and network registrationand settlement for participation in energy supply and/or curtailment assupply, and for energy or capacity consumption or usage by gridelements.

2. Description of Related Art

Generally, electric power management systems for an electric power gridare known. However, most prior art systems and methods apply to normalgrid management, macro (large) generation subsystems, transmissionsubsystems for transporting high voltage bulk power to distributionssystems where it is sent through distribution level infrastructure andvoltages and finally to end customers. Prior art to control power loadcurves include load curtailment where controls managing the system areused to deactivate or reduce power supplied to predetermined servicepoints from the grid. In addition advances in macro-generation and atransformation from Coal based generation to gas based generation hasled to new (large) gas fired turbines and their associated subsystems tomanage introduction of supply to the grid, but not particularly operableto smaller distributed supply sources or methods or technologiesintroduce a new elements to the grid wherein those elements areimmediately identified, tracked, and managed within the overall electricgrid system for meeting the needs and/or requirements of an energymanagement system (EMS) and/or a distribution management system (DMS)and or generation management system (GMS) and/or grid governingauthority.

In particular, relevant prior art is known for the management oftraditional large scale energy supply and technologies associated withtransmission, distribution and consumption of electricity in the powersystem. Collecting, transmitting, storing, and analyzing informationassociated with a variety of devices associated with the electric powergrid is also known in the art. Settlement for macro energy supply,energy storage, energy demand, and/or curtailment as supply is known inthe prior art; however, most settlement includes manual and/ornon-real-time settlement including significant estimation or modeleddata where actual data is missing or not collected, and/or utilizationof validation energy equivalence (VEE), and/or collected and settledover a period of time whereby actual contributions by sources/suppliersof generation are not fully known and are estimated and applied to allMarket Participants in some cases a full year after a generation day. Inparticular, losses associated with the transmission and distribution isspread across consumers, also referred by the industry as “loads”, bythe utility energy supply provider; where data traditionally has notavailable, these inaccuracies within the settlement systems of prior artplace the cost burden for inefficiencies on the consumer of power, notthe utility energy provider and/or distribution/transmission provider,which is typically the source of the losses.

By way of example, relevant prior art documents include the following:

U.S. Pat. No. 6,978,931 for Energy credit card system by inventorBrobeck, filed Apr. 13, 2004 and issued Dec. 27, 2005, discloses amethod of providing an energy credit system for providing redeemableenergy or mass transit credits to consumers who contribute power to ashared electric power grid, wherein at least some of the consumers havetheir own local renewable energy source connected to the power gridincluding the steps of measuring the excess power generated by eachconsumer's energy source that is fed into the electric power grid,awarding energy credits to each of the consumers in relation to theexcess power contributed to the electric power grid by the consumer,allowing each consumer receiving the energy credits to redeem them byacquiring fuel, power, or mass transit tickets from a fuel or powerprovider or mass transit system, and requiring the operator of theelectric power grid to compensate the fuel for energy provided or masstransit system in direct relation to the energy credits redeemed by eachconsumer. Additionally, it claims recording the credits at an energybrokerage house, requiring the operator of the power grid to compensatethe brokerage house for the expenses generated by the consumers, andallowing the brokerage house to retain as profit a portion of thecompensation received from the operator of the power grid.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,522,031 for Power load-leveling system and packetelectrical storage by inventors Provanzana et al., filed Oct. 10, 2001and issued Feb. 18, 2003, discloses a large-scale, capacitor-basedelectrical energy storage and distribution system capable ofeffectuating load-leveling during periods of peak demand and a costsavings associated with the purchase of electrical energy; anddisclosing a method of storing and distributing electrical energy toachieve a cost savings associated with the purchase thereof includingthe steps of providing a source of electrical energy, providing at leastone electrical energy storage capacitor capable of storing a significantamount of energy, the capacitor in communication with the source,providing control equipment adapted to analyze and monitor the real-timecost of purchasing electrical energy from the source and to predict afuture cost, supplying an amount of electrical energy to the capacitorto charge it in response to a charge signal from control equipment,discharging at least a portion of the stored energy to a load, andrepeating to maximize cost savings; also disclosing deducting the valueof the electrical energy sold back to the source for any costs ofpurchasing energy from the source. See also U.S. Patent Pub. No.2003/0160595.

U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2009/0177548 for Cooperative environmental and lifebenefit exchange system by inventor Eisenlohr, filed Jan. 9, 2009 andpublished Jul. 9, 2009, discloses a cooperative environmental and lifebenefit system including a grid transmitting available energy, aplurality of rate payers using energy generated from available energysources, a plurality of utility companies providing the grid, aplurality of credits redeemable for acquiring one or more of a pluralityof life benefits, and an administrator overseeing a redemption process,wherein credits are accumulated by the rate payers based on either apredetermined amount of electrical energy purchased from or sold back tothe grid; further describing the redemption process wherein creditsaccumulated by the payers are redeemed at a redemption rate to provide aredemption value, which is remitted by the rate payers to satisfybenefit cost for acquiring the benefits, or portions thereof.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,274,975 for Optimized energy management system byinventor Miller, filed Jun. 6, 2005 and issued Sep. 25, 2007, disclosesmethods and systems for optimizing the control of energy supply anddemand, including activating battery storage and alternative energysources to sell energy to the power grid during favorable costconditions, including method steps for allocating energy at a locationwhere the electrical energy is consumed, with computer-implemented stepsof: determining a marginal cost for each of a plurality of energysources available at the location, at least one of which is a non-gridsource of electricity; determining a capacity of electrical energyavailable from each non-grid energy source; determining a demand forelectrical energy at the location; dynamically allocating, in order oflowest marginal cost to highest marginal cost, electrical energycapacity from each of the plurality of energy sources to meet thedemand; reducing demand at the location by automatically deferringelectrical consumption for a device for which consumption is able to bedeferred from a higher-cost time period to a lower-cost time period,including the computer-implemented step of issuing a command to thedevice to cause the deferral to occur, and further including determiningprojected marginal costs in each of a plurality of future time framesand deferring electrical consumption for the device to one of theplurality of future time frames, while conforming to an operationalconstraint for the device, the operational constraint for the devicecomprising a maximum time duration for which the device is able to beswitched off; further including step of determining, on the basis oftime-varying cost of grid-based electrical energy, whether it iscost-effective to sell electrical energy back to a grid-based source,and if so, automatically initiating such sale; and the step of sellingelectrical energy from a battery to the grid-based source. See also U.S.Patent Pub. Nos. 2011/0208365 and 2007/0276547.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,890,436 for Billing and payment methods and systemsenabling consumer premises equipment by inventor Kremen, filed Jan. 12,2007 and issued Feb. 15, 2011, discloses a variety of systems andmethods enabling renewable energy consumer premises equipment (CPE) suchas dual metering techniques, and disclosing supporting by increasing alikelihood of meeting financing obligations, a consumer purchasing,leasing, installing, and/or maintaining renewable energy CPE for powergeneration at a consumer premises; coupling the CPE to a power gridoperable to receive at least a portion of the power generated by theCPE, measuring power generated by the CPE and delivered onto the powergrid of a utility, and processing receivables from the utilityassociated with the power generated and delivered onto the power griddirectly to the lender at times corresponding to power measurement tofulfill the consumer's obligation to repay the loan. See also U.S.Patent Pub. Nos. 2008/0091581, 2008/0091626, 2008/0091590, and2008/0091580.

Additionally, relevant prior art documents associated with grid elementsregistration with systems and methods include the following:

U.S. Pat. No. 7,502,698 for Power consumption measuring device and powercontrol system by inventors Uenou et al., filed Jul. 5, 2005 and issuedMar. 10, 2009, discloses a single phase, 3-wire watt-hour meter thatmeasures power consumption, alters a contract capacity, controls thestop/start of power supply/distribution, and updates programs from ahigher level control apparatus, including a central processing unit, astoring means, a communicating means, and interfaces; the devicemeasures the detailed behavior of a power consumption by totaling apower consumption every 30 minutes (and a clocking process for clockinga standard time and for collecting data within that time), interlockswith a gas leakage detector and a fire alarm, controls opening/closingof rain doors and the operation/stop of Internet home electricappliances, and enables low-cost communication by means of dynamic IPaddress based communication.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,022 for Power management coordinator system andinterface by inventors Dunstan et al., filed Jul. 19, 1994 and issuedSep. 24, 1996, discloses a power management system and interfaceproviding a flexible and uniform protocol for controlling powermanagement within a computer system including various software layersand add-in components; a programmable power policy manager, which allowsuser to define a performance/economy setting for the system that iscommunicated to all registered devices so that dwell and decay times areset by the device; and a programmable event sequencer, which maintainsan event notification sequence and control sequence for power events; aprogrammable power budgeter that maintains and allocates power on arequest basis for system elements; a programmable thermal budgeter thatmaintains and allocates energy based on thermal considerations; and acomputer system including a bus for communicating address and datainformation, a central processor couple to the bus for executinginstructions and processing data, and memory coupled to the bus forcontaining information, and a power management coordinator that includesa power management core for communication of power managementinformation with system devices within the computer system under auniform power management protocol, wherein particular devices are add-indevices requiring power management, and one of the devices providesprogrammable dwell time and decay time periods for power management ofthe add-in devices, wherein power events are generated by clients andbroadcast by power management core to power management clients,including a power event sequencer for maintaining a particular sequenceof communication about the power events.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,095,233 for Interconnected premises equipment for energymanagement by inventors Shankar et al., filed Oct. 10, 2006 and issuedJan. 10, 2012, discloses a system for facilitating direct monitoring andcontrol of energy-consuming appliances, in real time, using automaticprogrammatic control and a plurality of human interfacing includinglocal display and control, email, web browser, text messaging, andintegrated voice response, and describing a monitoring and controlcoordinator that provides centralized coordination of functions and oneor more communicating appliance interfaces that interact with energyconsuming appliances that are interconnected via wired and wirelesscommunication networks and protocols, wherein the system allows a userto regulate energy consumption of a premises for heating and airconditioning systems, including a premises control communication gatewayin communication with the monitoring and control coordinator.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,528 for Method and device for controlling electricconsumers in a motor vehicle by inventors Bertram et al., filed Sep. 25,1999 and issued Oct. 9, 2001, discloses a method and an arrangement forcontrolling electric consumers in a vehicle that are suggested with acontrol structure provided for consumers, the control structureincluding at least a high-ranking consumer management that receivesrequests from the consumers with respect to consumer power individuallyor as sums; the control structure including a coordinator for thevehicle electrical system and power generation therefor, and forreceiving the sum of the requested consumer power from the consumermanagement; the vehicle electric system adjusting the requested electricpower via orders to the vehicle electrical system components and theconsumer management taking the generated electrical power via control ofthe consumers.

U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2007/0067132 for Method and apparatus for routingdata streams among intelligent electronic devices by inventorsTziouvaras et al., filed Sep. 19, 2006 and published Mar. 22, 2007,discloses an intelligent electronic device (LED) for protection,monitoring, controlling, metering, or automation of lines in anelectrical power system, wherein the LED is adapted to communicated witha variety of other LEDs, including a communication configuration settingthat is configured to allow communication with one of the other LEDs;and further including an input element in communication with thecommunication configuration setting, whereupon a signal from the inputelement selects a particular communication configuration settingtherein, allowing for the communication with other LEDs. Also, includinga data stream management device for routing data streams among LEDsassociated with the electrical power system, wherein the data streamsare substantially unaltered from sent and received forms, and an LEDassociated with the data stream management device and adapted tocommunicate with the other IEDs, wherein assertion of an input elementselects a particular communication configuration setting.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,609,158 for Electrical power system controlcommunications network by inventors Banting et al., filed Oct. 26, 2006and issued Oct. 27, 2009, discloses a communications network for anelectrical power distribution system, the network communicatingmonitoring signals and control signals for a network of electricalcircuits, the network including a sensor node with a sensor deviceconfigured to detect an operating condition of the transmission ordistribution systems, a sensor communication node corresponding to thesensor device, and configured to transmit a first wireless signalcorresponding to the detected operating condition oftransmission/distribution, a control communication node separatelyprovided from the sensor communication node, configured to receive thefirst wireless signal and transmit a second wireless signalcorresponding to the first wireless signal, a gateway device incommunication with the control communication node and receiving thesecond wireless signal, and wherein the sensed electrical signals arebroadcast.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,060,259 for Wide area, real time monitoring andvisualization system by inventors Budhraja et al., filed Jun. 15, 2007and issued Nov. 15, 2011, discloses a real-time performance monitoringsystem for monitoring an electrical power grid, including grid portionshaving control areas, and monitoring of reliability metrics, generationsmetrics, transmission metrics, suppliers metrics, grid infrastructuresecurity metrics, and markets metrics for the electric power grid,wherein the metrics are stored in a database, and visualization of themetrics is displayed on a computer having a monitor.

U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2009/0119039 for Approach for ControllingElectrical Power by inventors Banister et al., filed Nov. 7, 2007 andpublished May 7, 2009, discloses an electrical power metering systemincluding a plurality of gated power receptacles, each of them beingconfigured to selectively provide electrical power in response toreceiving a wireless signal, and further including a service applicationconfigured to receive a request to provide electrical power for one ofthe receptacles, the request including an identifier that designates thereceptacle at which power is requested. A local host applicationexecutable on a computing device is configured to send wireless signalsvia a coordinator module to the receptacle to provide power in responseto receiving a communication from the service application that includesthe identifier.

In the area of managing supply of energy to the grid, detailedattachment modeling is required; also, due to the requirements that anyamount of supply, even micro-scale supply, must comply with standardsapplicable to full scale utilities or macro-generation supply, thiscompliance is difficult and expensive. However, there are relevant priorart documents relating to management electric power grids in the fieldof the present invention. By way of example, consider the following U.S.patent and U.S. Patent Publication documents:

U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,022 for Power management coordinator system andinterface by inventors Dunstan et al., filed Jul. 19, 1994 and issuedSep. 24, 1996.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,528 for Method and device for controlling electricconsumers in a motor vehicle by inventors Bertram et al., filed Sep. 25,1999 and issued Oct. 9, 2001.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,502,698 for Power consumption measuring device and powercontrol system by inventors Uenou et al., filed Jul. 5, 2005 and issuedMar. 10, 2009.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,095,233 for Interconnected premises equipment for energymanagement by inventors Shankar et al., filed Oct. 10, 2006 and issuedJan. 10, 2012.

U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2007/0067132 for Method and apparatus for routingdata streams among intelligent electronic devices by inventorsTziouvaras et al., filed Sep. 19, 2006 and published Mar. 22, 2007.

U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2008/0040479 for Connection Locator in a PowerAggregation System for Distributed Electric Resources by inventorsBridge et al., filed Aug. 9, 2007 and issued Jun. 29, 2010, discloses amethod to obtain the physical location of an electric device, such as anelectric vehicle, and transforming the physical location into anelectric network location, and further including receiving a uniqueidentifier associated with a device in a physical location. See alsorelated International Patent Pub. No. WO2008073477 and U.S. Patent Pub.Nos. 2009/0043519, 2009/0200988, 2009/0063680, 2008/0040296,2008/0040223, 2008/0039979, 2008/0040295, and 2008/0052145.

International Patent Pub. No. WO2011/079235 for Distributed energysource system by inventor Williams, filed Dec. 22, 2010 and publishedJun. 30, 2011, discloses an energy management system that includesdistributed energy sources (for example a wind turbine) that communicatewith consumer devices and electric utilities, wherein a CPU is incommunication with the distributed energy source and is operable tocontrol the flow of energy produced by the distributed energy source.

International Patent Pub. No. WO2012/015508 for Dynamic distributedpower grid control system by inventors Cherian et al., filed May 2, 2011and published Feb. 2, 2012, discloses a control system for a distributedpower grid that includes a simulation module operative to directlyinterface with the operational control of the distributed energyresources (DER) to develop and dynamically modify the control inputs ofthe distributed power grid, and wherein the distributed control modulecan simulate control response characteristics of the DER to determinecontrol methodology by conducting decentralized and distributedsimulation. See also International Patent Pub. Nos. WO2012/00879 andWO2012/015507, and U.S. Patent Pub. Nos. 2011/0106321, 2012/0029720, and2012/0029897.

International Patent Pub. No. WO2012/058114 for Method and systemfacilitating control strategy for power electronics interface ofdistributed generations resources by inventors Alatrash et al., filedOct. 21, 2011 and published May 3, 2012, discloses a method and systemfor implementing a control strategy for distributed generation (DG)units, wherein the DG unit behaves similarly to a synchronous generator.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,949,435 for User interface and user control in a poweraggregation system for distributed electric resources by inventorsPollack et al., filed Aug. 9, 2007 and issued May 24, 2011, discloses amethod and operator interface for users or owners of a distributed powerresource, such as an electric vehicle, which connects to a power grid,wherein the user or owner controls a degree of participation of theelectric resource power aggregation via the user interface, and furtherincluding an energy pricing preference, a vehicle state-of-charge, and apredicted amount of time until the electric resource disconnects from apower grid. See also U.S. Patent Pub. Nos. 2009/0043520 and2008/0039989.

U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2011/0282511 for Prediction, Communication andControl System for Distributed Power Generation and Usage by inventorUnetich, filed Mar. 26, 2011 and published Nov. 17, 2011, discloses anapparatus for obtaining, interpreting and communicating a user reliableand predictive information relevant to the price of electricity serviceat a prospective time.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,844,370 for Scheduling and control in a poweraggregation system for distributed electric resources by inventorsPollack et al., filed Aug. 9, 2007 and issued Nov. 30, 2010, disclosessystems and methods for a power aggregation system in which a serverestablishes individual Internet connections to numerous electricresources intermittently connect to the power grid, such as electricvehicles, wherein the service optimizes power flows to suit the needs ofeach resource and each resource owner, while aggregating flows acrossnumerous resources to suit the needs of the power grid, and furtherincluding inputting constraints of individual electric resources intothe system, which signals them to provide power to take power from agrid.

U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2009/0187284 for System and Method for ProvidingPower Distribution System Information by inventors Kreiss et al., filedJan. 17, 2009 and published Jul. 23, 2009, discloses a computer programproduct for processing utility data of a power grid, including adatamart comprised of physical databases storing utility dataapplications comprising an automated meter application configured toprocess power usage data from a plurality of automated meters, a poweroutage application configured to identify a location of a power outage,and a power restoration application configured to identify a location ofa power restoration. See also U.S. Patent Pub. Nos. 2011/0270550,2011/0270457, and 2011/0270454.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides systems, methods, and apparatusembodiments for electric power grid and network registration andmanagement of grid elements, their participation in the electric powergrid, and financial settlement for grid element participation in theelectric power grid, the financial settlement including compensationand/or payment relating to that participation in real-time and/or lessthan about 15 minute settlement intervals. Accordingly, grid elementsare transformed into active grid elements following initial registrationof each grid element with the system, preferably through network-basedcommunication between the grid elements, a Coordinator, a translator,and a settlement processor. Also preferably, messaging is managedthrough a network by a Coordinator using IP messaging for communicationwith the grid elements, with the energy management system (EMS),Distribution Management System (DMS), and with the utilities, marketparticipants, and/or grid operators. Furthermore, the Coordinator isoperable for receiving information communicated from grid elements,authenticating, and registering grid elements, and for receiving andcommunicating data associated with the participation for supply,curtailment as supply, and/or consumption of electric power from thegrid, and settlement associated with that participation for each of thegrid elements, again as contemplated by the aforementioned and anyfollow on FERC or NERC Order that is meant to influence resources forcapacity, energy, energy equivalents, micro/macro generation, storagetechnologies, transmission capacities, grid elements, ancillaryservices, settlement intersections know and defined or those definedthrough the implementation of this art, thereby transforming real-timeor less than about 15 minute interval data into automated settlement.The Coordinator is further operable for communicating data with adatabase, a persistence layer or cache, an ASIC or memory contained in agrid element or the processor, or combinations thereof and to provide anoverall assessment of electric grid operations (normal or emergency)including but not limited to energy flows within the system, gridstabilization information, operating reserves, capacity, transmissionand distribution capacities, grid element capacities, settlement, andcombinations thereof.

Following registration, the multiplicity of active grid elementsfunction in the grid for control, reporting, status, grid operations(normal or emergency), any source of macro supply capacity/energy,supply as distributed energy resources from a plurality of methods,supply/energy through storage devices, and/or load curtailment as supplyor capacity, wherein the registered, active grid elements and theircorresponding activities and information associated with thoseactivities deliver electric supply to the electric grid, curtail loadsources, control active or passive grid elements used in the operationof the grid, or any other device that is attached to the electric gridfor its normal or emergency functions and are tracked and managed inaccordance with regulations and standards governing the electric powergrid. Reporting and tracking status of those grid elements with andthrough the coordinator or the coordinator in communication with legacygrid operator subsystems is also important in determining settlementsfor the aforementioned use cases. When grid elements are inactive,unanticipated outages, growth or changes in the electric grid,replacement of defective or upgrades to grid elements or a portion ofthe transmission or distribution system becomes inactive for a pluralityof reasons (grid element outage), the impact of these changes in normalgrid operation will impact settlements for those Market Participants orindividual sources of supply, curtailment and their associatedsettlements inclusive of grid elements.

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is to provide a systemfor electric power grid network management including: at least one gridelement constructed and configured for electrical connection andnetwork-based communication with a server and/or a processor operativelycoupled with memory; wherein the grid element is transformed into atleast one active grid element after initial connection with the serverand/or the processor operatively coupled with the memory via a network,preferably a communications network, wherein the registration ispreferably automatic and/or autonomous.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus forsmart electric power grid communication including: a grid elementconstructed and configured for electrical connection and network-basedcommunication with a server associated with an electric power grid;wherein the grid element is transformed into an active grid elementafter initial connection with the electric power grid, and preferablywherein each active grid element has a unique identifier. By way ofexample and not limitation, at least one of the grid elements is acontrol device that operates, programs and updates select load consumingdevice(s) or generating devices associated with the electric power grid(including but not limited to control systems, thermostats, controllers,anything that controls the device, switch gear, large control systemsoperating from a control center or box with interface to a large controlsystem, such as a distribution automation control system; transformationprocess includes whatever control systems are attached to the electricdevices, their databases, tables, memory, ASICs, firmware, software,operating systems, and combinations thereof and/or other grid elements).

Also, in one aspect of the present invention a method for electric powergrid network management is provided, including the steps of: providingat least one grid element constructed and configured for electricalconnection and network-based communication with a server; the at leastone grid element communicating a message to the server, wherein themessage is preferably standards-based or proprietary; the at least onegrid element automatically connecting to at least one other active gridelement for functioning actively within the electric power grid, whereinthe at least one grid element makes an initial connection with theserver via a network. Also, in one embodiment, methods further includethe step of: connecting the at least one grid element to an electricpower grid. Also preferably, the at least one grid element is operablefor sending and/or receiving a message via communication with the servervia a network, and the message is routed by a coordinator to the server.Messages are sent via the network and include Internet Protocol(IP)-based messaging, which provides for secure communication, forexample using encryption, private networks, or IP encapsulation overproprietary networks. The present invention thus preferably providessecure communications, which are improved over the prior art's use ofanalog telemetry such as in outage detection systems, and telemetrysub-systems.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art after a reading of the following description ofthe preferred embodiment when considered with the drawings, as theysupport the claimed invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating settlement processor systemsand methods of the present invention including grid elements,coordinator, translator, and settlement processor components.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a virtualized computingnetwork used in one embodiment of the invention for automated systemsand methods.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a coordinator and gridelements within the systems and methods of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating grid elements, attachmentpoints, and telemetry through a network associated with the systems ofthe present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary network nodeconfiguration for grid elements registration and communication.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a distribution automationcommunications network.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing energy system operations andcommunications via network-based connections.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a basic Automated GeneratorControl (AGC)/energy management system (EMS)/distribution managementsystem (DMS) representation.

FIG. 9 is a table illustrating three FERC orders and their applicabilityto the electric power grid load management addressed by the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The increased awareness of the impact of carbon emissions from the useof fossil fueled electric generation combined with the increased cost ofproducing base load, intermediate, and peak power during high loadconditions has increased the need for alternative solutions utilizingnew power technologies as a mechanism to defer, or in some caseseliminate, the need for the deployment of additional macro generationcapacity by electric utilities, generating utilities, or distributingutilities or any grid operator or market participant whose primaryfunction is to facilitate the production, distribution, operation andsale of electricity to individual consumers. Existing electric utilitiesare pressed for methods to defer or eliminate the need for constructionof fossil-based or macro large scale electricity generation whiledealing with the need to integrate new sources of generation such asrenewable energy sources or distributed energy resources whoseproduction and integration into the electric grid is problematic.

Today, a patchwork of systems exist to dispatch macro generation,implement demand response load management programs, dispatch ofintermittent renewable resources, and energy management and control.These legacy systems are used for both supplying “negawatts”, supply andgrid stability to the electric utility grid. In the case of demandmanagement, also referred to in the industry as “Demand Response”,various radio subsystems in various frequency bands utilize “one-way”transmit only methods of communication or most recently deployed aplurality of proprietary two-way methods of communications with electriccustomers or their load consuming device and measurement instrumentsincluding, by way of example, “smart meters.” In addition, macrogeneration is controlled and dispatched from centralized control centerseither from utilities, Independent Power Producers (IPPS) or otherMarket Participants that utilize point to point primarily “Plain oldtelephone service” POTS dedicated low bit rate modems or nailed timedivision multiplex (TDM) circuits such as T-1s that supply analogtelemetry to Energy Management Systems or in some cases physicaldispatch to a human operator to “turn on” generation assets in responseto grid supply needs or grid stress and high load conditions. Theselegacy systems operate under a framework supported for decades toattempt to increase the efficiency of existing transmissioninfrastructure and simultaneously attempt to supply each grid operator,Market Participant or end customer the lowest cost of energy regardlessof the type of resource. Unfortunately, these legacy systems, in theindustry referred to as “Security Constrained Economic Dispatch” (SCED)utilize complex models with incomplete information to provide both ISOsand Traditional Utilities a means to provide a generation forecast forthe next generation time period (for example, day ahead).

SCED has not been successful in the facilitation of new technologiessuch as Demand Management, Advanced Curtailment contemplated under FERCOrder 745, Advanced Storage contemplated under FERC Order 750, orAdvanced Distributed Energy Resources contemplated under FERC Order 755.

Existing uses for traditional Demand Response technologies, that are notgenerally capable of performing to the level contemplated under FERCOrder 745, but are used for peak shaving, utilities or other marketparticipants install radio frequency (RF)-controlled relay switchestypically attached to a customer's air conditioner, water heater, orpool pumps, or other individual load consuming devices. A blanketcommand is sent out to a specific geographic area whereby all receivingunits within the range of the transmitting station (e.g., typically apaging network) are turned off during peak hours at the election of thepower utility. After a period of time when the peak load has passed, asecond blanket command is sent to turn on those devices that have beenturned off. This “load shifting” has the undesired effect ofoccasionally causing “secondary peaks” and generally requires consumerincentives for adoption. Furthermore integrating even these simple loadshifting assets for purposes of settlements is problematic given thatthese traditional technologies cannot provide the necessary geodetic,PSV, and other information necessary for these load sources to beintegrated into an Energy Management System or settled under thetraditional energy dispatch and settlement systems.

Most recent improvements that follow the same concepts for DemandResponse are RF networks that utilize a plurality of mesh based,non-standard communications protocols that utilize IEEE 802.15.4 or itsderivatives, or ZIGBEE protocol end devices to include load controlswitches, programmable thermostats that have pre-determined set pointsfor accomplishing the “off” or “cut” or reduce command simultaneously orpre-loaded in the resident memory of the end device. These networks aresometimes referred to in the industry as “Home Area Networks” or (HANs).In these elementary and mostly proprietary solutions, a programmablecontrol thermostat(s) (PCTs) or building management systems (BMS) movethe set point of the HVAC (or affect another inductive or resistivedevice) or remove a resistive device from the electric grid thusaccomplishing the same “load shifting” effect previously described. Allof these methods require and rely on statistical estimations andmodeling for measuring their effectiveness and use historicalinformation that are transmitted via these same “smart meters”, intervaldevice recorders (IDRs), or revenue grade meters, to provideafter-the-fact evidence that an individual device or consumer compliedwith the demand response or market driven event. Protocols that areemployed for these methods include “Smart Energy Profiles Versions 1 &2” and its derivatives to provide utilities and their consumers anattempt at standardization amongst various OEMs of PCTs, switching, andcontrol systems through a plurality of protocols and interfaces. Thesemethods remain crude and do not include real time, measurement,verification, settlement and other attributes necessary to have theirDemand Response effects utilized for effective Operating Reserves withthe exception of limited programs for “Emergency” Capacity Programs asevidenced by programs such as the Energy Reliability Council of Texas'(ERCOT's) Emergency Interruptible Load Service (EILS). Furthermore, foreffective settlement and control of mobile storage devices such asElectric Vehicles, these early “Smart Grid” devices are not capable ofmeeting the requirements of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC),North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) or other standardssetting bodies such as the National Institute of Science & Technology(NIST) Smart Grid Roadmap.

While telemetering has been used for the express purpose of reportingenergy usage in real time, no cost effective techniques exist forcalculating power consumption, carbon gas emissions, sulfur dioxide(SO₂) gas emissions, and/or nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) emissions, andreporting the state of a particular device under the control of atwo-way positive control load management device or other combinations ofload control and generator controls as previously described. Inparticular, one way wireless communications devices have been utilizedto deactivate electrical appliances, such as heating, ventilation, andair-conditioning (HVAC) units, water heaters, pool pumps, and lightingor any inductive or resistive device that is eligible as determined by autility or market participant for deactivation, from an existingelectrical supplier or distribution partner's network. These deviceshave typically been used in combination with wireless paging receiversor FM radio carrier data modulation, or a plurality of 2-way proprietaryradio frequency (RF) technologies that receive “on” or “off” commandsfrom a paging transmitter or transmitter device. Additionally, theone-way devices are typically connected to a serving electricalsupplier's control center via landline trunks, or in some cases,microwave transmission to the paging transmitter. The customersubscribing to the load management program receives a discount or someother form of economic incentive, including direct payments for allowingthe serving electrical supplier (utility), retail electric provider orany other market participant to connect to their electrical applianceswith a one-way load control switch and deactivate those appliancesduring high energy usage or high energy price periods. This technique ofdemand response is used mostly by utilities or any market participantfor “peak shifting” where the electric load demand curve is moved from apeak period to a less generation intensive time interval and are favoredby rate-based utilities who earn capital returns of new power plants orany capital deployed to operate their electric grids that are approvedby corresponding Public Utility Commissions. These methods are previousart and generally no conservation of energy is measured. In manyinstances, secondary peak periods occur when the cumulative effect ofall the resistive and inductive devices are released from the “off”state simultaneously causing an unintended secondary peak event, alsoknown as a flash back event.

While one-way devices are generally industry standard and relativelyinexpensive to implement, the lack of a return path from the receiver,combined with the lack of information on the actual devices connected tothe receiver, make the system highly inefficient and largely inaccuratefor measuring the actual load shed to the serving utility or compliantwith measurement and verification for presenting a balancing authorityor independent system operator for operating reserves and settlements.While the differential current draw is measurable on the servingelectric utility's transmission lines and at electrical bus orsubstations, the actual load shed is approximate and the location of theload deferral is approximated at the control center of the servingutility or other statistical methods are considered to approximate theindividual or cumulative effect on an electric utility grid. Theaforementioned “two-way” systems are simultaneously defective inaddressing real time and near real time telemetry needs that producegeneration equivalencies that are now recognized by FERC Orders such asFERC 745 where measurable, verifiable Demand Response “negawatts”,defined as real time or near real time load curtailment wheremeasurement and verification are provided within the tolerances requiredunder such programs presented by FERC, NERC, or the governing body thatregulate grid operations. The aforementioned “smart meters” incombination with their data collection systems commonly referred to as“Advanced Metering Infrastructure” (AMI) generally collect interval datafrom meters in HISTORICAL fashion and report this information to theutility, market participant or grid operator AFTER the utility or gridoperator has sent notice for curtailment events or “control events” toinitiate due to high grid stress that includes lack of adequateoperating reserves to meet demand, frequency variations, voltage supportand any other grid stabilizing needs as identified by the utility orgrid operator and published and governed by FERC, NERC, or otherapplicable regulations. Standard AMI meters report historicalinformation at least 15 minutes after the event occurred, but the timelag could be as long as 24 hours.

One exemplary telemetering system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.6,891,838 B1. This patent describes details surrounding a meshcommunication of residential devices and the reporting and control ofthose devices, via WANs, to a computer. The stated design goal in thispatent is to facilitate the “monitoring and control of residentialautomation systems.” This patent does not explain how a serving utilityor customer could actively control the devices to facilitate thereduction of electricity. In contrast, this patent discloses techniquesthat could be utilized for reporting information that is being displayedby the serving utility's power meter (as do many other priorapplications in the field of telemetering).

An additional exemplary telemetering system is disclosed in U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2005/0240315 A1. The primary purpose of thispublished application is not to control utility loads, but rather “toprovide an improved interactive system for remotely monitoring andestablishing the status of a customer utility load.” A stated goal ofthis publication is to reduce the amount of time utility field personnelhave to spend in the field servicing meters by utilizing wirelesstechnology.

Another prior art system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,633,823, whichdescribes, in detail, the use of proprietary hardware to remotely turnoff or turn on devices within a building or residence. While initiallythis prior art generally describes a system that assists utilities inmanaging power load control, the prior art does not contain the uniqueattributes necessary to construct or implement a complete system. Inparticular, this patent is deficient in the areas of security, loadaccuracy of a controlled device, and methods disclosing how a customerutilizing applicable hardware might set parameters, such as temperatureset points, customer preference information, and customer overrides,within an intelligent algorithm that reduces the probability of customerdissatisfaction and service cancellation or churn.

Attempts have been made to bridge the gap between one-way, un-verifiedpower load control management systems and positive control verifiedpower load control management systems. However, until recently,technologies such as smart breakers and command relay devices were notconsidered for use in residential and commercial environments primarilydue to high cost entry points, lack of customer demand, and the cost ofpower generation relative to the cost of implementing load control ortheir ability to meet the measurement, telemetry, verificationrequirements of the grid operator or ISO. Furthermore, submeteringtechnology within the smart breaker, load control device, command relaydevices or building control systems have not existed in the prior art.

One such gap-bridging attempt is described in U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. US 2005/0065742 A1. This publication discloses a systemand method for remote power management using IEEE 802 based wirelesscommunication links. The system described in this publication includesan on-premise processor (OPP), a host processor, and an end device. Thehost processor issues power management commands to the OPP, which inturn relays the commands to the end devices under its management. Whilethe disclosed OPP does provide some intelligence in the power managementsystem, it does not determine which end devices under its control toturn-off during a power reduction event, instead relying on the hostdevice to make such decision. For example, during a power reductionevent, the end device must request permission from the OPP to turn on.The request is forwarded to the host device for a decision on therequest in view of the parameters of the on-going power reduction event.The system also contemplates periodic reading of utility meters by theOPP and storage of the read data in the OPP for later communication tothe host device. In one embodiment, the OPP also includes intelligenceto indicate to the host processor that the OPP will not be able tocomply with a power reduction command due to the inability of a loadunder the OPP's control to be deactivated. However, neither the hostprocessor nor the OPP determine which loads to remove in order tosatisfy a power reduction command from an electric utility, particularlywhen the command is issued by one of several utilities under themanagement of a power management system. Further, neither the hostprocessor nor the OPP tracks or accumulates power saved and/or carboncredits earned on a per customer or per utility basis for future use bythe utility and/or customer. Still further, the system of thispublication lacks a reward incentive program to customers based on theirparticipation in the power management system. Still further, the systemdescribed in this publication does not provide for secure communicationsbetween the host processor and the OPP, and/or between the OPP and theend device. As a result, the described system lacks many features thatare necessary for a commercially viable implementation.

Customer profiles are often used by systems for a variety of reasons.One reason is to promote customer loyalty. This involves keepinginformation about not only the customer, but about the customer'sactions as well. This include information about what the customer owns(i.e., which devices), how they are used, when they are used, deviceenergy consumption, device operational costs, etc. By mining this data,a company is able to more effectively select rewards for customers thatgive those customers an incentive for continuing to do business with thecompany. Similar actions are famously performed by Walmart on customersbuying habits to predict supply chain management. This is oftendescribed as customer relationship management (CRM).

Customer profile data is also useful for obtaining feedback about how aproduct is used or how small distributed energy sources are dispatchedback to the electric power grid. In software systems, this is often usedto improve the customer/user experience or as an aid to testing or toset pricing parameters for deploying distributed energy resources.Deployed systems that have customer profiling communicate customeractions and other data back to the development organization. That datais analyzed to understand the customer's experience. Lessons learnedfrom that analysis is used to make modifications to the deployed system,resulting in an improved system.

Customer profile data is also used in marketing and sales. For instance,a retail business collects a variety of information about a customer,including what customers look at online and inside “brick-and-mortar”stores. This data is mined to try to identify customer productpreferences and shopping habits. Such data helps sales and marketingdetermine how to present products of probable interest to the customer,resulting in greater sales.

However, the collection of customer profile information by powerutilities, retail electric providers or any other market participantthat sells retail electric commodity to end customers (residential orcommercial) has been limited to customer account information of grosselectrical consumption and inferential information about how power isbeing consumed but requires customers to take their own actions. Becausepower utilities, REPs, market participants typically are unable tocollect detailed data about what is happening inside a customer's homeor business, including patterns of energy consumption by device, therehas been little opportunity to create extensive customer profiles.

Thus, none of the prior art systems, methods, or devices providecomplete solutions for financial settlement associated with powermanagement, including grid elements and network management, andsettlement for grid element participation in supplying and/or receivingpower from the electric power grid, including messaging overcommunication networks and energy management over the electric powergrid network, wherein the grid elements are attached to the electricgrid and registered therewith. Therefore, a need exists for systems andmethods for grid element participation settlement and management toovercome the shortcomings of the prior art.

By way of background context for financial settlement systems underexisting market rules for electric power grids, any generation supplier,including Market Participants (supplier), elect to participate in aneconomic dispatch for supplying electric power or Operating Reserves tothe electric power grid. For example, Pennsylvania, Jersey, MarylandIndependent System Operator (ISO), (PJM) is a non-profit entity thatprovides for economic dispatch; PJM Interconnection (PJM) is a regionaltransmission organization (RTO) that coordinates the movement ofwholesale electricity in all or parts of several states within the USA(www.pjm.com). Acting as a neutral, independent party, PJM operates acompetitive wholesale electricity market and manages the high-voltageelectricity grid to ensure reliability for millions of customers in theUSA under the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Reliability Commission(FERC). Under the current system, the supplier submits voluntary priceand quantity bid(s) on a day-ahead basis or real-time basis, specifyingthe price(s) the supplier is willing to accept within a predetermined orspecified range of output(s). Voluntary price and quantity bidssupersede PJM's previous reliance on cost-based estimates. Suppliershave equal access to all wholesale loads served, and PJM's bidding anddispatch rules apply uniformly, without regard to suppliers' ownershipor affiliation. Note, however, that prior art systems and methods failto provide equal access to all suppliers, particularly those supplierswho do not provide at least a minimum level of supply quantity; this isone reason that distributed power systems and methods fail to providefor reasonable market-based settlement for all suppliers, regardless ofvolume or quantity of supply.

By contrast to the prior art, the systems and methods of the presentinvention provide for aggregation of suppliers until at least theminimum acceptable quantity is reached, i.e., a power trading block(PTB) unit (minimum) is reached or achieved by the aggregation ofsuppliers distributed who are willing to supply and accept atpredetermined market pricing levels. Thus the present inventionadvantageously provides for market-pricing-based settlement for allsuppliers, even those who are willing and able to supply an amount lessthan the minimum, since the aggregation of a multiplicity of suppliers'quantity into a minimum PTB unit is realized under the systems andmethods of the present invention.

Furthermore, on the basis of voluntary price and quantity bids received,PJM determines market clearing prices at each location or node on theelectric power grid, i.e., locational marginal prices (LMP) based uponthe marginal cost of serving the last increment of load at eachlocation. Market clearing prices are paid to all suppliers participatingin the economic dispatch, while differences in locational prices betweenthe point of withdrawal and the point of injection of electrical powerinto the electrical power grid are used to price the transmissionbetween those points and to account for congestion in transmission anddistribution of the power in the grid. After reviewing all scheduled andactual flows on the grid, PJM adjusts generation and loads as needed tomaintain frequency, equilibrium between loads and resources, and meetvoltage and other reliability constraints. To relieve transmissionconstraints, PJM is required from time to time to dispatch generationout of merit order.

Additionally, and alternatively to integrating with existing PJM-basedor legacy-based settlement systems and methods for improving settlementaccuracy and for providing grid element-specific settlement data,real-time or near-real time (less than about 15 minute intervals)bidding and acceptance is provided under the systems and methods of thepresent invention, thereby providing an automated clearinghouse for gridelement participation in electric power supply to the electric powergrid on a real-time or near-real-time (less than 15 minute interval)basis, or any sub-increment of time required for settlement ofcurtailment technologies as contemplated by FERC Order 745 (137 FERC¶61,215 issued Dec. 15, 2011 and 134 FERC ¶61,187 issued Mar. 15, 2011),incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, which one not skilledin the art could reduce to “Negawatts equals Megawatts” for purposes ofcompensation. Any sub-increment of time as contemplated by FERC Order750 (135 FERC 61,041 issued Apr. 21, 2011) and FERC Order 755 and 755-A(755 is found at 137 FERC 61,064 issued Oct. 20, 2011; 755-A is found at138 FERC ¶61,123 issued Feb. 16, 2012), both Orders being incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety, which one not skilled in the artcould reduce to a general description as ANY micro or macro supplysource that provides capacity, energy, and grid stability via itsoperation are paid the clearing price for providing this energy resourceat the nearest clearing location, which could be a resource node, a LMP,a utility service boundary, a balancing authority, a transmissionintersection, a point where metering defines a boundary between twoMarket Participants as defined by FERC, NERC, ISO, or any governing bodythat regulates matters associated with the electric power grid.Furthermore, to facilitate advanced settlements, the automaticregistration of any grid element is essential for the automatedsettlement under the present invention.

At the time of the present invention, the electric power grid providesfor pricing and settlement based upon the market pricing on at least aone-day-ahead basis. However, because of newly issued FERC orders 745,750, 755, micro and macro technologies evolving for meeting therequirements of FERC 755 require improved timing of pricing andsettlement.

Advanced Settlements Overview

To address the shortcomings of the prior art and to meet theserequirements, the present invention provides for real-time and/ornear-real-time pricing and settlement in less than the day-ahead basisprovided in the prior art, and more preferably less than about 15 minuteintervals. IP-based messaging communications from grid elements assuppliers and through corresponding coordinators, the registered gridelements participates in offering on a geodetic basis from specifiednodes or attachment points associated with the electric grid, pricingand quantity available on the real-time and/or near-real-time basis,which is preferably automatically accepted by market participantsthrough the communications system and energy routing systems and methodsof the present invention.

The present invention further provides for a resource settlement pointor resource settlement node, which provides for the location of thesettlement of the grid element for participation in the electric powergrid. It functions as the attachment point for the grid element, and itis able to be either static or dynamic, i.e., it provides for the gridelement participation location at or across the intersection oftransmission boundaries, utility service areas, and provides that thegrid element itself serves as a point of demarcation for settlement offinancial transactions for load, supply, transmission, capacity; theresource settlement point or resource settlement node is determined bythe governing entity, and is changeable or dynamic, for example, by theTDSP. For batteries, or mobile supply or storage device, such as by wayof example and not limitation, electric vehicles, which are mobile andattach to the electric power grid for consuming power (charging) and/orsupplying power (discharging), the resource settlement point or resourcesettlement node, is dynamic, and is preferably reported through thecoordinator, and then translated back to the legacy systems, such thatthe mobile grid element (in this example, an electric vehicle) becomesthe financial settlement point, and is moveable to more than onelocation at the grid, for supply and/or demand or consumption of energy.The resource service node functions to route or change the routesdepending upon the congestion detected within the transmission ordistribution of the grid, which provides for dynamic pricing, dependingupon the congestion in the grid. So the coordinator provides for leastcost routing in conjunction with GUIs and web services with the legacysystems and the settlement processor of the present invention. The ISOreports the status of the grid to the coordinator, which determines theoptimal financial settlement for grid element participation. Theprofiles are further considered by the coordinator for the grid elementsfor assessment of grid element participation location, timing, andcombinations, for the supply and/or consumption of energy from the gridwith respect to optimal pricing for that grid element.

The present invention also facilitates the ability to bid, clear, andsettle in more locations and by new methods than those in current art.Legacy grid operations and EMS are in communication with thecoordinator; SCADA control, distribution automation, transmissionreporting, OASIS, and other legacy systems for grid operations andsettlement. According to the present invention, the coordinator monitorscapacity, position and/or location of grid elements, state of gridelements, their operational purpose on the electric grid, supply pricingand quantity bids by grid elements registered with the coordinator toparticipate in supplying and/or consuming power from the grid, whereinload curtailment is also offerable as supply by those grid elements, andconsidered for settlement based upon market price as set forthhereinabove. The price per kilowatt packet, which includes kilowatthour(s), PSV, PTB, grid stability information, and combinations thereof,is communicated between the coordinator and grid elements, and thosegrid elements participating in the market pricing acceptance, such asPJM.

When a grid element is introduced to the electric power grid, the gridelement communicates to the grid network, via standards-based orproprietary protocol, through a plurality of communications methodswhether they be wired or wireless, its necessary information to beincorporated and function as designed or intended on the electric powergrid. The grid element registers through a coordinator, preferably,after which the coordinator tracks the grid element and itsparticipation in the electric power grid. The information relating tothe participation of the grid element is also communicated to the legacyor operational grid systems, as well as the financial sub-system(s),which receives the information about the function and participation ofthe grid element, registers the grid element for settlement-based (orfinancial) participation in the grid; preferably this information isnetwork-based communication through the coordinator and/or thetranslator, according to embodiments of the present invention. Thefinancial sub-system updates the market, preferably via communication tothe market participant or utility, the grid element, and coordinator. Acustomer identifier, a billing identifier, a grid element uniqueidentifier, and combinations thereof are assigned to the grid element.Importantly, the grid element is registered for participation in theelectric power grid as a supplier and/or consumer of electric power fromthe grid.

A profile is provided or created for the grid element, by the marketparticipant, utility, etc., by the owner of the grid element, andcombinations thereof. Preferably, various parameters, inclusive ofmarket pricing conditions via a customer profile that are able to beloaded via a smart phone, tablet, or any web-enabled appliance foraccepting or modifying a profile or moreover a profile that automatedcontrols based upon previously selected economic messages.

An attachment model is created depending upon the function and purposeof the grid element's participation and provided by the grid element tothe utility, grid operator, ISO, market participant, and combinations,with that communication also being IP-based messaging through thecoordinator via a communications network. Preferably, encrypted IP-basedmessaging is used for grid element communications. Settlement for a gridelement is preferably less than about 15 minute intervals for supply,curtailment as supply, and consumption of electric power, and includesthe grid element geodetic location at the time of the grid elementparticipation. Improved settlement provides for communication with thefinancial sub-system, the market, the ISO, the market participant,utility, and combinations, all via web-based communications. Thefinancial sub-system serves as a clearinghouse for the grid element(s),and functions as a point of sale for electricity to the electric powergrid. Additionally, active grid element profiles for power consumptionare included in the present invention. The embodiments described utilizeconcepts disclosed in published patent application US 2009/0062970,entitled “System and Method for Active Power Load Management” which isincorporated by reference in its entirety herein. The followingparagraphs describe the Active Management Load System (ALMS), whichincludes at least one Active Load Director (ALD), and at least oneActive Load Client (ALC) in sufficient detail to assist the reader inthe understanding of the embodiments described herein. More detaileddescription of the ALMS, ALD, and ALC are found in US Patent Publication2009/0062970, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.Generally, the embodiments described encompass a closed loop system andmethod for creating a profile, calculating and deriving patterns ofenergy usage and/or supply, and making use of those patterns whenimplemented through the machinery of a system comprised of active gridelements combined with the physical communications link and when theseinputs are manipulated through a computer, processor, memory, routersand other necessary machines as those who are skilled in the art expectto be utilized.

In another embodiment, energy consumption patterns in active gridelements profiles are used to identify active grid elements that are thebest targets for excess power sharing or for supporting grid stability.This occurs when renewable energy such as solar or wind is added to thegrid, resulting in power that cannot be compensated for by the gridexcept typically “net metering” for installations less than 1 MW. Under“net metering” a supplier of solar energy is compensated at the gridelement at the retail rate or a pre-negotiated rate and is notcompensated for the supply of power based upon market conditions or insupport of grid stability. For wind generated power, oversupplyconditions could occur, for example, on very windy days. When thishappens, utilities or market participant, grid operator, EMS, orequivalent are faced with the problem of what to do with the excessenergy. Instead of cutting power to service points in order to affectpower savings, a utility, market participant, grid operator, EMS, orequivalent could add energy to service points and through active gridelements associated with those services points in order to effect powerdissipation. The service points and/or active grid elements selected bythe Coordinator are able to be different (or even the inverse) of thoseselected for power savings. The devices at these service points areturned on if they were off or set points for climate-controlled devicesare adjusted to heat or cool more than normal. Spread out over manycontrol points, this provides the energy dissipation needed. Those gridelements are then compensated for offering grid stability in the oversupply condition which is recognized in the industry as supplyingregulating reserves for the purpose of grid stability.

In a further embodiment, energy consumption patterns within active gridelements profiles could be used to identify opportunities for upselling, down selling, or cross selling. These opportunities aredetermined by the power utility or by its partners. Data from activegrid elements profiles and their participation on the electric powergrid are used to provide insights on inefficient devices, defectivedevices, or devices that require updating to meet current standards.Active grid elements profiles data, and/or data associated with theirparticipation on the electric power grid, individually or collectively(or selectively) in the aggregate, are also used to identify relatedpower grid participation opportunities.

In one embodiment active grid elements profiles and the active gridelement participation on the electric power grid are also dynamic, andsettlement processing associated with those grid elements includesconsideration of those profiles, in addition to the data fromparticipation of the grid elements for supply and/or curtailment, andfor energy consumption as well. By way of example, the active gridelements and their participation within the electric power grid toutilize real time communications from an electric utility grid, market,market participant, utility, REP, CSP or any other entity authorized onbehalf of the owner, in combination with the profiles of the active gridelement, to act on their behalf to control load consuming devices ownedby the consumer and connected to the electric utility grid. Preferably,the active grid elements receive this information automatically througha plurality of methods utilizing IP-based communications methods and webbased devices such as smart phones, computers, text messages, pagingmessages, or even voice response units or live customer service agents.Under this real time scenario, active grid elements could dynamically“Opt In” to a pre-determined profile or “Opt Out” or more importantlychange the profile dynamically to take advantage of real time marketpricing of electricity being sold by the utility, market participant,REP or any entity authorized to buy, sell and trade electric commodityor demand response products on behalf of the owner.

Transmission and distribution losses are generally modeled to estimatelosses, rather than having actual data, in the prior art financialsettlements for the electric grid; power flow and power loss models areused due to the lack of availability of actual data or lack of use ofinformation made available by actively reporting grid elements. Modelingis usually provided by the transmission distribution supply (TDSP)and/or utility; they are given information so that they are able tocalculate (or model) the transmission losses, rather than use actualdata for the losses. Transmission and distribution loss modeling areused in each feeder and each electrical bus and substation toapproximate losses between electrical buses, substations and end pointwhere the load is being served. These are also used when empirical datais available; they are industry-accepted practices that provide a levelof engineering safety and capacity factors which are widely acceptedpractices. Instead of relying only on modeling, the empirical data areused to correct the models, but it is important to note that the lossesand some grid operations that are affected by transmission anddistribution use modeling for grid operations and inherently are lesseffective than the use of real-time and measured data from activelyreporting grid elements where models are replaced with actual values.All models have coefficients of loss that are able to be improved; themodeling is improved for all the data provided. Transmission loss modelsare considered for frequency, distance, size of cable, etc., andcombinations thereof.

Generation losses are also a function of the efficiency of transfer,efficiency of transformers, efficiency of resource node, etc. andcombinations thereof. Age of transmission cables, size/capacity ofcables, material utilized in the transmission line, temperature,insulation, capacitance and reactive power elements, age of material,type of material, degradation, bending radius, etc. and combinationsthereof are all factors used in modeling and will also affect the actualempirical measurements or data. Empirical data is characterizing thedistribution environment so that the modeling is more accurate.Self-correcting algorithms employed in the model that consider theempirical data is used to create closed loop systems that act upon thedata without the need for human intervention. Temperature, humidity,physical environment factors (e.g., connector/connection, etc.).

By way of example and not limitation, consider the grid element as asmart meter, small-scale generation, load curtailment applications. Inthe example of small scale generation, or independent power generation,such as a back-up gas-powered, diesel or any fossil fueled generator orfuel cell, a resource node is designated by the grid operator andprovided with a revenue grade meter associated therewith to provide thegrid operator with information about the amount and type of energy orreserve provided to the electric grid, and a coordinator associated withthe grid element (back-up) supply source. Prior art approximates withwhatever interval data is provided at the resource node and supplied bythe revenue grade meter what each supplier provides on any given day.Payments in current art are staggered over a typical 30 days intervalfrom each generation day where energy and reserves are provided to theelectric grid. Data from the suppliers are submitted to the ISO toindicate what was provided but the teachings in the present inventionintroduce more dynamic methods that increase the accuracy of thesettlements provided to each supplier while decreasing the interval oftime required to receive payment. Payment is provided about 30 days toabout 1 year later. In current art, minimum PTB is about 100 kilowattsto be considered for a bid for supply to the electric power grid. Thepresent invention provides metrology grade active load client (ALC),which is also an active grid element, providing to the EMS through acoordinator in communication by IP-based messaging over a network, andthen to an active supply director. The grid element supplying power(generating power for supply to the electric power grid) provides itsoutput through a TDSP smart meter, collecting near-real-timeinformation, telemetry, and metrology through the reading of ANSI orother approved C12.19 tables, communicated to qualified schedulingentity (QSE) and/or energy registration or trader that presents theaggregated generation (at least one PTB unit minimum) and/or operatingreserves PTB to the market. Alternatively, the market suppliesinformation to the coordinator, which communicates to the ASD, to callimmediately or in near-real-time to generate supply at market prices andto introduce it to the feeder associated with an electrical bus orsubstation of an electric power grid. The coordinator communicates withthe market for obtaining market price at the time of supply, and withthe market participant(s) or utility, NERC/FERC, preferably withbi-directional communication. The market is always providingtransmission information, price per kilowatt packet, modeling,forecasting, clearing, schedules, and combinations in real-time ornear-real-time. The ASD and/or coordinator preferably communicate over areliable IP-Based network, one-to-many small generation supply or loadcurtailment grid elements.

Market information is supplied from the market through the coordinatorto the grid elements so that profiles associated with grid elements arematched, or modified or changed to match, the market needs at that time.Preferably, each grid element has a unique grid element identifier,unique grid profile, and further includes financial account information,for supply or consumption of power to the electric power grid. Theprofiles are provided from the grid elements through the coordinator tothe market and/or market participants. The coordinator also works withthe ASD, ALD, and the legacy systems in a Web Services environmentthrough a translator, if necessary, to ensure communication between theoperating systems providing electric power throughout the electric powergrid and the financial settlement systems and communications associatedtherewith.

Complex financial pooling agreements are provided to allow for dispatchcapability of calling up resources on stand-by to meet reserverequirements for a utility, market participant or grid operator.Forecasting is provided for a generation schedule to each activesupplier of energy and reserves based either upon the forecasted gridneed or based upon market awards based upon bids submitted to the gridoperator, ISO etc. Because of a lack of real-time information and a lackof modeling accuracy, the grid operator, market participant, utility,and combinations must monitor the grid constantly due to the lack oflarge scale storage of energy and since supply to the grid, net of gridlosses, must always meet supply plus the Operating Reserve requirementas specified by the governing entity. Grid transmission and dispatch(under commercial applications such as OASIS) is observed to determinethe market pricing and availability of transmission capacity and power(quantity) flows across transmission intersection points, balancingareas, LMPs or any junction specified by the governing body; thetransmission capacity is made available to all market participants,whether supply or generation.

The present invention provides systems, methods, and apparatusembodiments for electric power grid and network registration andfinancial settlement of participation of grid elements in supply,curtailment, and/or consumption of power within the electric power grid.Accordingly, grid elements are transformed into active grid elementsfollowing initial registration of each grid element with the system,preferably through network-based communication between the grid elementsand a Coordinator. Also preferably, messaging is managed through anetwork by a Coordinator using IP-based messaging for communication withthe active grid elements, with the energy management system (EMS), andwith the utilities, market participants, and/or grid operator'ssubsystems necessary for electric grid operations and grid stability.Following initial registration, the multiplicity of active grid elementsfunction in the grid through the coordinator and any associated controlsystems such as an Active Load Director an Active Supply Director, anEnergy Management System, Master SCADA system or any new or legacysystem utilized for reporting, telemetry, command & control, status,normal or emergency electric grid operations in the generationsubsystems (of all generation capacities and types) that supplycapacity/energy to the electric grid, storage devices that supplycapacity and energy to the electric grid and/or load curtailment actingas supply or capacity (as in FERC 745), wherein the registered, activegrid elements and their corresponding activities and informationassociated with those activities are tracked and managed in accordancewith regulations and standards governing the electric power grid.Furthermore, settlement is provided for activities of grid elements,namely, financial settlement that corresponds to participation by eachof the grid elements within the electric power grid, wherein thesettlement is preferably provided in real-time or near-real-time, orless than about 15 minute intervals or any sub-15 minute settlementincrement as determined by the aforementioned bodies that regulate theactivities of the electric power grid, but within the physicallimitations of current grid element technologies and that contemplate,through this art, the ability for grid elements to report morefrequently to improve grid stability and to provide efficiencies andcost savings to consumers of energy, based upon data supplied throughthe coordinator and through a translator via network-based communicationwith the settlement processor, as illustrated in FIG. 1 . Included withthe settlement processor are components for authentication, customerverification, location, attachments, settlement switch and associatedmatch service for supply and demand, and clearing price, operable withina settlement processing engine having rules illustrated in FIG. 1 , andin communication with a database, connect service for account managementand grid element account portal, including grid element profiles, andfurther connected with web APIs and service database, enterprise servicebus, and service data, further including management, historical, andsettlement history data stored in corresponding database(s) orproprietary custom interfaces necessary for newer grid elements andtheir subsystems to interface with older subsystems of control andsettlement of the grid operators or Market Participants. A translatorfurther connects in network-based communication with the settlementprocessor to an accounting engine, utility and/or financial institutionaccounts, and customer and/or supplier accounts for settlementassociated with the grid elements and their owners. The grid elementsare physically electrically and network-based communication connectionswithin distribution feeder subsystems, including connection to theelectric power grid at a multiplicity of attachment points. The gridelements are further connected via a coordinator, which is preferably,but not exclusively, co-resident with the settlement processor, andfurther in electrical network-based connection with an acquiring switch,an acquiring gateway, and then with a resource node and correspondingresource node processor, which is in network-based communicationconnection with the settlement processor, as illustrated in FIG. 1 .Also preferably, the settlement processor communicates with legacysettlement processor(s) and/or database(s) associated with the resourcenode and/or load zone, and the settlement processor accesses orreferences the related location-based marginal price for the gridelement participation associated with the resource node(s) and/or loadzone(s) corresponding to the grid attachment point for thatparticipation and/or activities within the electric power grid.

According to the present invention, at least one grid element of thegrid element(s) includes transmission or distribution control node(s),monitoring node(s), telemetry node(s), routing node(s), electricalrouting node(s), fault protection node(s), generation node(s), loadcontrol node(s), devices (active & passive), sensors, etc., wherein anode further includes an interface and/or an attachment to the grid. Thegrid operations include functionality that is provided by a multiplicityof different grid elements associated with supply, command/control,monitoring, and curtailment activities as separate activities for activegrid elements.

Overall, the systems and methods, and apparatus of the present inventionprovide grid element(s) and their registration for initializing theirfunctionality within the electric power grid, wherein the registrationtransforms the grid element(s) into active grid element(s) throughnetwork-based communication with a server and/or a processor operativelycoupled with a memory. The functionality of each grid element, followingregistration and transformation into active grid element(s), variesaccording to the grid element itself and its physical connection to theelectric power grid. In many instances, the active grid elementsfunction to provide power supply and/or curtailment as power supply,and/or capacity for same, that provides for grid stability, operatingreserves, and/or other reserves of an electric power grid. However, inevery case, any active grid element registered with the electric powergrid management system must be operable for network-based communicationwith the server and/or the processor operatively coupled with memory.More preferably, grid elements communicate through a Coordinator viamessaging communicated over a network, wherein the messaging is Internetprotocol (IP)-based messaging, or proprietary communications networkprotocols and transported by a plurality of network methods as describedhereinbelow.

Each grid element has a first location within a first boundary, which isreferenced as a home identifier. A corresponding foreign identifier isused for each grid element with respect to other entities outside thefirst boundary, i.e., wherein the grid element(s) change connection orposition with respect to the electric power grid connection point ornode, or the grid element(s) are also identified with a second locationat another point in time relating to settlement. For the case ofmovement or change in connection or position for each grid element(s),the corresponding unique grid identifier changes to reflect the locationchange, and the rules governing settlement for the grid element changewith respect to function, timing, location, boundary, etc., as well aschanges in security. The present invention further provides for a homelocation register wherein at that point in time within the boundary thegrid element is an active grid element that is registered to participatein the electric power grid by supply and/or curtailment.Correspondingly, a visitor location register is provided and associatedwith the second location of the grid element(s).

The present invention further includes messaging to mobile device(s)and/or remote computer devices or processors relating to activation ordeactivation of any grid elements registered and associated withcommunications through that mobile device, and for settlementinformation to be including with the messaging of grid element(s)participation within the electric power grid. By way of example and notlimitation, the systems and methods of the present invention provide forautomated messaging to the grid element owner(s) regarding the mostefficient settlement zone and/or attachment point for the grid elementand communication of information for mobile settlements. A maintenanceport is provided within each IR reader for changing the billing plan andretail electric provider instantly if the message is not transformedthru the existing mobile device. If sharing databases or persistencelayers, then messaging makes automatic modifications to billing system,etc. Included with the systems and methods of the present invention arethe context of relevant boundaries (or zones) to determine how to defineand invite new participants automatically based upon profiles andlocation and registration attributes.

Claimed Invention Description

The present invention systems and methods for settlement of transactionswithin an electric power grid network include: a settlement processor,comprising a server and/or a processor operatively coupled with amemory, database, constructed and configured for electrical connectionand network-based communication via a network with at least onecoordinator, wherein each of the coordinator(s) is constructed andconfigured for electrical connection and network-based communicationwith at least one active grid element that is registered to participatewithin the electric power grid.

The present invention systems and methods further include a translatorconstructed and configured in network-based communication with thecoordinator and with at least one legacy system for financial settlementprocessing. Note that settlement for participation in the electric powergrid for supply, curtailment as supply, and/or consumption or usage ofpower (demand) includes electric utility power settlement, alternativeenergy settlement or credits, including but not limited to carboncredits, and combinations for at least one power trading block (PTB)unit within or across any boundary, balancing authority, grid operatoror market. The financial settlement is provided in at least onecurrency, and preferably is provided in an electronic financialsettlement or digital financial settlement, which does not requirephysical currency exchange between participants in the electric grid.

In preferred embodiments, the settlement processor operates to providean automatic and/or autonomous financial settlement for each of theactive grid elements based upon their participation within the electricpower grid. Furthermore, the settlement processor provides a financialsettlement based upon a kilowatt packet (KWP) unit, a power supply value(PSV) unit, a power trading block (PTB) unit, and combinations thereof.A KWP is one or less kilowatt hours units, or any government,regulatory, or governing entity for an electric power grid acceptedmethod for quantifying rate for monetization for any unit of kilowattswith respect to time. Thus, the financial settlement of the presentinvention is optimized for each KWP, PSV, PTB, and combinations for eachgrid element that participates in the electric power grid (in any way).The present invention provides settlements that are currency and/orcommodity agnostic, i.e., the settlement is not restricted to a singlecurrency or commodity. The present invention systems and methods provideany improvement in settlement from the initial settlement where theparticipation in the electric power grid is financially compensated ineither direction (supply or demand) including but not limited to:improved data, improved accuracy, improved analytics relating to gridelement participation, and combinations thereof. These improvementsreduce the amount of uncertainty associated with losses, lack of data,gaps in data, etc. with respect to the electric power grid and gridelement participation thereon and financial settlement therefor.Notably, aggregation analytics ensure optimized settlement for each gridelement, including consideration of boundaries, timing, attributes, etc.The effect is that electric power flows through the grid are consideredequal irrespective of source, so long as the supply meets regulatoryrequirements associated with the functioning of the grid. This providesfor essentially functioning cooperatives of grid elements that are notretail electric providers, but have the net effect of and/or functionvirtually as retail electric providers, because their aggregation,analytics, combination, integration, and combinations thereof allow themto function and to receive compensation as if they are macro generation,due to increased data sampling and/or accuracy within predeterminedlocations that is different from other geodetic locations due to thespreading effect that is greater at the first location. So then becausethe data provided by the systems and methods of the present inventionare more accurate and better than anyone else within the boundary orsettlement zone on that day, grid elements and their owners using thesesystems and methods will always receive the best compensation for theirparticipation in the grid at that time. Additionally, the systems andmethods provide for connecting or forming of aggregation blocks that areboundary independent and that are contrary to the existing geodeticboundary for providing a virtual utility zone with the aggregated PTBs.The creation of the PTBs and power supplied by multiplicity of gridelements has its own carbon footprint and corresponding carbon credits,so then alternative energy credits, offsets, or other form of settlementare also aggregated, including carbon credits, NOx, sulfur reduction,are effectively aggregated into alternative energy credits as PTBs. Thepresent invention provides for grid elements to have virtual settlementpoints (or attachment points) and/or virtual PTB groupings. Thus,virtual grid element settlement points provide a substitution forphysical boundary-based settlements.

By way of improvement over the prior art, the settlement of the presentinvention is processed by the settlement processor in a predeterminedtimeframe associated with reporting frequency associated with theparticipation of grid element(s) within the electric power grid, whereinthe day of participation is considered day zero (0); data relating tothe participation for those grid elements is more accurate than anyother because the data gathering, modeling, sampling, and combinationsare made at less than 15 minute intervals.

The at least one coordinator is remotely positioned from the settlementprocessor, and the participation of the grid element is communicated tothe coordinator via the network. Preferably, the participation of thegrid element is automatically and/or dynamically communicated to thecoordinator via the network, preferably in real-time or in apredetermined timeframe, and the network-based communication is astandards-based communication or a proprietary communication, and morepreferably includes IP-based communication that is routable through arouter and/or through a coordinator.

Within the electric power grid or any sub-grid level, a multiplicity ofgrid elements aggregate and/or integrate through a master or aggregatorgrid element and/or a virtual grid element that represents theparticipation of the multiplicity of grid elements as one grid element,i.e., digital cross-connection wherein the master grid element is overthe other grid elements associated with it. Thus, following registrationwith the system, each of the multiplicity of grid elements, uponaggregation or integration, and association with the master gridelement, transform into sub-grid elements, wherein the sub-grid elementshave corresponding financial settlements that are unique and correspondto each of the sub-grid elements, and wherein a financial settlement isunique to each sub-grid element, and furthermore, is unique to thelocation and function of each sub-grid element for its participation inthe electric grid. The unique financial settlement for each sub-gridelement further includes coordination with at least one virtual IDand/or smart meter. Furthermore, each of the grid element(s) is a devicethat provides any power that is monetized and recognized by a governingentity associated with the electric power grid.

In the case where at least one of the at least one grid elements is acontrol device, the control device operates, programs, and/or updatesthe power-consuming device. In one embodiment, the grid element(s) isselected from the group consisting of: a sensor, a power-consumingdevice, an appliance, a meter, a switch, a controller, a control device,a power control subsystem integrated with grid element for supply, athermostat, a building control system, a security device, any electricaldevice, and combinations thereof. At least one of the grid elements isunder the control of an energy management system (EMS) and/or SCADAsystem. In any case, preferably each grid element includes telemetry,wherein the telemetry follows industry standard for EMS and/or SCADAcontrol.

According to the present invention the transformation relating to theactive grid element enables the active grid element to provide operatingreserves and/or grid stabilization for the electric power grid. The gridelements transform into a corresponding plurality of active gridelements after initial connection with the server via the network. Thegrid element(s) is/are an electrical device that provides or consumeselectric power from an electric power grid, wherein the supplied poweris reactive power, voltage support, supplied power for operation, andcombinations thereof. Data is transformed at the grid element level, orat the sub-meter level, based upon location with the grid, the functionit performs with respect to the participation in the grid, monetizableequivalence (which is paid for settlement differently in different ISOs,e.g., ERCOT for emergency interruptible load service, PJM forinterruptible load reserves, wherein the timing is different. Attributesand/or profiles for each of the activated, registered grid elements areassociated with each grid element after its transformation. Preferably,each of the at least one grid elements has a unique grid elementidentifier, which includes at least one of an unique customer identifieror a tax identifier. An unique grid element identifier includes an IPaddress, equipment identifier, mac address, or combinations thereof.Preferably, the unique grid element identifier further includeslocation-based factors, such as Google Earth, ray tracing for geodeticlocations, physical mapping and combinations thereof, time-basedfactors, grid-function-based factors, and combinations thereof.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the server initiates thefinancial settlement of the participation of the at least one gridelement, and the financial settlement of the participation of the atleast one grid element is stored in a database or any data storage suchas ASIC chips, wherein the data is persisted at the grid element,accessed from memory registers, transformed, and communicated ortransmitted to the server through the network and preferably via thecoordinator, wherein the database is registered with an ISO, BA, controlarea, utility service area, any geodetic junction where settlements areperformed as determined by the governing entity, and/or FERC. Settlementof the present invention is preferably associated at or proximal to thegrid element location and/or the participation of the grid elementwithin the grid, and the financial settlement is a function of load orsupply.

A multiplicity of databases that are constructed and configured innetwork-based communication for receiving settlement data from amultiplicity of grid elements is provided, wherein the databases arecross-linked or associated in network communication, and furtherincludes internal tables with rows, columns, and values; the server isable to extract, transform, and replicate data across the databases. Aswill be appreciated to one of ordinary skill in the art, the databasesinclude at least one production database, and connection layers in atleast two parts, further including middleware that connects multipleapplications to databases (APIs that are SOA-based), and that allownative applications to send info in SIMM format to allow connection todatabases, messaging engine(s) that interact with a cache or persistencelayer, and applications that sit on top of it, as well as firewalls andother physical security, encryption layers, and combinations. In oneembodiment, encryption is direct networked, cloud-based, IP-based orEthernet-based network encryption.

The at least one coordinator provides for routing messages from themultiplicity of grid elements through the network connecting thedatabases, and wherein servers operating the databases exchangeinformation associated with the grid elements for affecting gridstabilization.

Each grid element is registered with the system and wherein theregistration of grid elements is stored in the databases forpredetermined periods of time for use with a financial settlementassociated with the grid elements, and the information relating tofinancial settlement of the participation of the at least one gridelement is stored in a database, and any raw measurement data istransformed into settled measurements for storage in a database.Furthermore, the information relating to grid elements participation istransformed from raw data into settlement data, and wherein thesettlement data is stored in a database. Preferably, a web-based graphicuser interface (GUI) display operates to communicate information to thegrid operator(s) via encrypted IP-based communication. Raw measurementsare not required to be retained in the database(s); however,transformation methods are retained and transformed settled data areretained; such that if market rules change, then the system and methodsof the present invention provide for optimized settlement based uponupdating the settled data to reflect latest rules. Thus the analyticsengine(s) provides for reversible, updatable data from raw to settled,and then updated settled, to improve the settlement financial amount tocompensate the participation of the grid element(s) within the electricpower grid at the optimal rates for that period of time for theparticipation. Overall, the present invention provides for better, moreaccurate settlements in any format, including traditional currency orcommodity trading or valuation, bartering KWP in PTB unit(s) in exchangefor non-currency remuneration, credits, and combinations thereof.

The registration information associated with grid elements is used todetermine attachment points to the electric power grid for distributionand transmission of power, and wherein the attachment point informationassociated with the grid elements is communicated to the settlementprocessor.

The settlement information associated with grid elements is preferablyfurther communicated to or accessible by the market participant,utility, grid operator, etc., wherein a settlement is made for each gridelement, and the settlement complies with regulations and/or standardsestablished by FERC, NERC, and/or a governing authority for the electricpower grid.

The server communicates a settlement message to each of the at least onegrid elements via the network, wherein the settlement message ispreferably an IP-based message. The grid element participation in thegrid is provided for use by market participants via a display through aweb-services enabled GUI. It is accessible to and/or communicated viathe network to payer and payee, trader, consumer, resource provider,TDSP, and/or market participant or entity who benefits from having thecapacity to monitor settlements including but not limited to ISO, RTO,etc., which need visibility to clearing price, and to financialsettlements for grid element participation. Empirical data of thepresent invention associated with each grid element, because of itsactual data collection over less than 15 minute intervals, has moregranularity than modeling used in the prior art, so that the presentinvention systems and methods provide higher accuracy information thatis relevant to making market-timing decisions and actions relating toparticipation by grid elements and owners thereof. For example and byway of comparison, this is not unlike futures trading in the markets,which requires visibility into clearing price. The exchange ofinformation and its display and representation of data for advanced andautomated settlements is preferably associated with kilowatt packets,PSVs, and PTBs. Real-time access for trading and for participation inthe grid by grid elements is improved. Speed and security of data, inaddition to increased accuracy and increased timeliness of data providedand communicated within the systems and methods of the present inventionprovide for improved financial settlements for participants. Empiricaldata has more granularity than modeling used in the prior art, thepresent invention provides higher accuracy information that is relevantto making market-timing decisions and actions relating to participationby grid elements and owners thereof, for example and by way ofcomparison like futures trading in the markets, which requiresvisibility into clearing price.

This settlement message associated with the grid element participationis transmitted either wired or wirelessly by grid elements, and includesan interface that facilitates communication of the settlement messagewith the grid elements, such as an interface that includes an IP-basedinterface. An IP-based interface is preferably selected from the groupconsisting essentially of WIMAX, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA),Evolution for Data Only (EVDO), Long Term Evolution (LTE), any first orsecond generation wireless transport method such as EDGE, or CodeDivision Multiple Access, Ethernet, any proprietary Layer 1-4 protocolthat contains or is capable of transporting an Internet Protocolmessage, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the settlement messageincludes a derived Power Supply Value that meets the minimumrequirements for measurement, verification and reporting accuracy asdetermined by the Governing Entity that regulates the operation of theelectric power grid that includes utilities, market participants and/orgrid operators.

Also, the systems and methods of the present invention include asecurity interface associated with each of the grid elements operable toreceive security system messages from at least one remotely-locatedsecurity system, wherein the security interface is standards-based ordetermined by the governing entity that regulates grid operations forutilities, market participants or grid operators.

The settlement message further includes a delivery priority including atleast one of a plurality of methods to include priority access flags,virtual private networks, independent identifying addresses (MAC, IP,Electronic Serial Numbers), manufacturers specific identifying codes, orcombinations thereof, wherein the methods comply with standards asdetermined by the governing entity that regulates grid operations forutilities, market participants or grid operators. There are dedicatedroutes, private networks that are Ethernet or proprietary, or otherprioritized packet or encryption formats that have been created orapproved for settlements by the governing body and/or standards bodies.

The grid element(s) further include at least one mobile device having atleast one access point name (APN) for providing a priority of deliveryfor the message, wherein the at least one grid element transmits asignal or communicates a message to the server at the point of initialconnection with the server via the network. Thus, the system initiatesthe settlement request based upon disconnection, etc., or a customer orowner of any grid element (user) initiates the settlement based uponuser-inputs (from a mobile device, a computer, etc.) or by any profilechange for any grid element.

The grid elements communicate a signal or a settlement message toinitiate a financial settlement corresponding to participation in theelectric power grid, and the signal or the settlement message is routedthrough a coordinator, which routes the settlement message to thesettlement processor.

The settlement message further includes at least one of: a geodeticreference, a element identifier, a grid element type, a grid elementfunction, a grid element capacity, a grid element profile, a gridelement attachment point reference, a kilowatt packet (KWP) value, agrid element power supply value (PSV), a grid element power trade block(PTB) value, a grid element balancing authority association, a gridelement owner identifier, a grid element compatibility identifier, andcombinations thereof.

The financial settlement of the present invention includes factors forgrid stability-based pricing, operating reserves-based pricing, factorsconsidering peak and off-peak timing, and combinations thereof, andfurther include measured data that provides higher rate for settlementcompared with projected, estimated, or VEE (validation, estimation, andediting) rate, and includes variable, higher, and more accurate rate forsettlement, compared with projected or VEE. Thus the coordinator and/orserver with information from the coordinator transforms the raw datafrom grid element participation in the grid into more accuratesettlement data, which is then compensated at the optimal rate for thatparticipation for that given time period. Preferably, the financialsettlement is managed by a clearinghouse between market participants andutilities, and further includes individual cooperatives, groups(non-traditional), and non-boundary constrained groups, cooperativesthat function to aggregate groups, etc.

Preferably, upon registration with the grid, each of the grid elementshave a home location identifier and a non-home location identifier, andwherein the financial settlement includes factors and attributes forgrid element participation associated with the home location identifierand with the non-home location identifier, which further include factorsassociated with boundaries, regulations associated with each of theboundaries including factors affecting settlement across boundaries,within boundaries, etc., and considers the participation of the gridelements based upon location, and rules governing their Marketparticipation.

Detailed Description of the Figures

As illustrated by FIG. 1 , a settlement processor is provided forsystems and methods of the present invention. Advantageously, and by wayof comparison to electronic settlement associated with point of saletransactions, for example as with gasoline purchases at a pump stationwith electronic payment, traditional boundaries used with financialsettlements for grid elements are not restrictive factors with thesystems and methods of the present invention. By way of illustration andnot limitation, a grid element is an electric vehicle; once registeredthrough the coordinator to participate in the system, the mobility ofthe grid element allows it to connect and participate within the powergrid to consume or draw power (charging) and to supply power(discharging the battery) at a multiplicity of locations acrosstraditional boundaries. With the systems and methods of the presentinvention, the grid element location for its participation (consuming orsupplying power) is automatically identified with the activities and thesettlement for that participation is provided at the point ofattachment.

Referring now to FIG. 2 , a schematic diagram illustrating a virtualizedcomputing network used in of one embodiment of the invention forautomated systems and methods is shown. As illustrated, components ofthe systems and methods include the following components andsub-components, all constructed and configured for network-basedcommunication, and further including data processing and storage. Asillustrated in FIG. 2 , a basic schematic of some of the key componentsof a financial settlement system according to the present invention areshown. The system 200 comprises a server 210 with a processing unit 211.The server 210 is constructed, configured and coupled to enablecommunication over a network 250. The server provides for userinterconnection with the server over the network using a personalcomputer (PC) 240 positioned remotely from the server. The personalcomputer includes a system bus 242 that couples a central processingunit (CPU) 244 to a memory 246, an input/output (I/O) interface 248, anda display 249. Furthermore, the system is operable for a multiplicity ofremote personal computers or terminals 260, 270 having operating systems269, 279. For example, a client/server architecture is shown. The memorystores one or more sets of instructions 247. Alternatively, a user mayinterconnect through the network 250 using a user device such as apersonal digital assistant (PDA), mobile communication device, such asby way of example and not limitation, a mobile phone, a cell phone,smart phone, laptop computer, netbook, a terminal, or any othercomputing device suitable for network connection. Also, alternativearchitectures may be used instead of the client/server architecture. Forexample, a PC network, or other suitable architecture may be used. Thenetwork 250 may be the Internet, an intranet, or any other networksuitable for searching, obtaining, and/or using information and/orcommunications. The system of the present invention further includes anoperating system 212 installed and running on the server 210, enablingserver 210 to communicate through network 250 with the remote,distributed user devices. The operating system may be any operatingsystem known in the art that is suitable for network communication asdescribed hereinbelow. Data storage 220 may house an operating system222, memory 224, and programs 226.

The present invention further provides systems and methods forsettlement of participation in the electric power grid by grid elementsthat include a coordinator and/or translator network-based communicationto communicate with legacy systems associated with the electric powergrid, the legacy systems including network management systems, energymanagement systems, ISO, utility, SCADA, EMS, meter data, tables,graphical information system asset management server including updatedchanges within the distribution system, customer information systems,enterprise billing systems, outage management systems, data warehouse,historical data, legacy demand-side management system, legacyinformation and/or control system having grid information for gridelements for active control of those grid elements, and combinationsthereof. Regardless of type and frequency of telemetry for those legacysystems, the present invention provides for increased frequency up toreal-time data, and improved accuracy of data associated with theparticipation of the grid elements in the electric power grid. Benefitsfor the consumer of electric power from the grid include more accuratedata associated with grid element participation in the grid, andtherefore reduced payments and/or increased total compensation in thecase of a power generator or curtailment activities acting as supply.

For the present invention, a node is a point within the electric powergrid at which power is generated or drawn out. Resource nodes are thepoints at which power is passed back, connectivity nodes of thegenerator to the system. Settlement quality measurement of theinjections and withdrawals; 15 min price is calculated and used forreal-time energy settlement through the use of reporting grid elementsthat possess revenue grade metrology, as defined by standards bodies,such as ANSI in North America, or the appropriate standards bodies thatspecify the accuracy to classified as revenue grade by the governingbody and are transformable by changes in the software and or firmware toimprove the accuracy of the power measurement at the point ofsettlement. Thus the systems and methods of the present inventionprovide for accuracy improvements of any type, and any and all updatesto profiles, preferences, and any other upgrade associated with any gridelement, in particular those providing for increased settlementaccuracy, which are communicated over the network by IP-based messagingor proprietary messaging.

The ratings of the GSU are provided by the resource entity and areentered into the model. The 15 min price is calculated for the resourcenode, even if the resource node is offline. A clearing price is stillcalculated, even if no additional power is supplied by a generator atthat node and also, for the resource node, in the event transformersde-energize for maintenance. Grid elements are deployed and areconfigurable in a loop (or a loop feeder) fault tolerant design so thatif there is a fault, the power is re-routed automatically. The 15minute-based prices often change and are recalculated in the event thatpart or all of the electrical buses de-energized. Some feeders off ofelectrical buses are not in a fault tolerant configuration and when theyfail or are de-energized, it is still possible to clear a price forproviding resource if a supply or curtailment source has been registeredthrough the art and ultimately to the grid operator, Market Participant,ISO, utility, or plurality thereof. In this use case, a distributedenergy resource injects energy to the de-energized distribution ortransmission lines and thus create the use case of settlements perattachment or per measuring grid element per customer. Nodal price isequal to the subsystem average in the prior art; this teaches away fromthe present invention inasmuch as the systems and methods of the presentinvention provide for real-time accurate measured contributions and loadconsumption. Thus, price for generation is optimized and/or maximizedfor each grid element that participates in supply of power or loadcurtailment as supply to the grid at those nodes. Clearing price forpower is provided at the node, in the example case wherein theelectrical bus is de-energized and alternative and/or distributed powersupply is provided to any and/or all of the power-consuming gridelements associated with that node, includes not only the capacity andenergy charges, but also preferably includes the base distribution andattachment charges, which are normally granted to the TDSP for thatperiod of time in which such power is supplied, measured, tracked,communicated, transformed, etc. according to the present invention forsettlement.

Preferably, systems and methods of the present invention consider theinformation provided by ISO, which publishes a day ahead, a week ahead,a month ahead and/or real time pricing for capacity, energy andoperating reserves. Consideration of this information provide by ISO isprovided through a pricing element communicated through the Coordinator.The pricing element further includes factors and/or information relatingto the impact of commodity pricing (e.g., natural gas) as an input tothe settlement systems and methods of the present invention.

A resource node is associated with the electrical bus, in which aresource is measured and an output is settled. It is theoreticallypossible to settle at the electric bus for generation resource connectedto the grid at only one electric bus, then at that bus as the resourcenode. For all others, the resource node is the generation resources sideof the e-bus where the generation source is connected to the electricalpower grid or where there are aforementioned boundaries that alsopossess a grid element that employs revenue grade metrology andreporting thereof.

Settlement for grid elements according to the present inventionconsiders the location of each of the grid elements, the locationsettlement at the closest node for the connection of the grid element(s)to the electric power grid, including the physical attachment point tothe distribution system or at the grid element that measures the “net”power injected at the attachment point to the electric grid that is alsocapable of grid stabilization (frequency synch, voltage support, etc.).

As set forth hereinabove, the prior art includes estimations and networkmodels that are used to approximate the electric power flows in thegrid, particularly the transmission, distribution system and losses ator approximate to the attachment points of loads; however, the presentinvention includes estimations, network models, and, significantly,real-time measurement of actual participation by each of the gridelements, and the losses associated with transmission, distribution, andresource nodes, versus estimations. By way of example and notlimitation, the present invention provides for kilowatt packet basedsettlement, including power supply value (PSV) factors and, whereappropriate or required, including aggregation of supply and/or loadcurtailment as supply activities by a multiplicity of grid elementsand/or entities to provide a power trading block (PTB) or minimum amountrequired for settlement. Thus, the estimations and approximations arereplaced with actual data captured under the present invention systemsand methods; therefore the efficiency of the electrical power gridsettlement and functionality, because increased capacity so thatadditional resources utilize existing infrastructure to its fullestextent without incurring redesign or new construction to expand capacityof the grid distribution and transmission. Furthermore, because the newart contains an active coordinator which when in combination withprocessing and database elements allow for the decision making andultimately pricing and resource nodes to be defined further down in thedistribution system and closest to the end consumer, ultimatelyimproving the operations and efficiency of the grid, maximizingtransmission and distribution capacity and most importantly saving theconsumer money or its equivalents for compensation. It also facilitatesthe participation of the same consumers who possess distributed energyor curtailment technologies to participate in the market and respond tomarket pricing conditions to improve the supply and grid stability.

By contrast to the prior art, embodiments of the present inventionpreferably provide for real-time data to be used to inject grid elementsthat further improve grid operations and functionality for distributionof electric power in the grid. Clearing and monetizing the increasedcapacity is another benefit of the present invention systems andmethods, which provides that increased capacity is measured and settled.

In one embodiment of the present invention, metering for settlements andbilling is preferably provided with the advanced communications vianetwork, preferably IP-based communication for grid elements through thecoordinator to allow participation in the electric power grid by gridelements for supplying, providing curtailment as supply, and/orconsuming power or usage and financial settlement that allows customersto provide supply, curtailment as supply, and/or consume power beyondtheir committed base rate or anticipated rate in response torequirements of the grid (for increased supply, for grid stability,etc.) that are communicated or projected by EMS. This allows the gridoperator and/or market participant with the ability to activate supplyfrom any source and provide for financial settlement therefor includingconsideration for the cost of the infrastructure and transit commits, ifany, capacity, grid stability, and combinations thereof. This providesan alternative to either capped ports with fixed billing or actual datatransferred, which are models more frequently seen in the prior artelectric grid settlements, where occasional usage “bursting” is eithernot allowed or penalized with higher bills, either of which penalizesthe customers. In preferred embodiments of the present invention,systems and methods provide for advanced financial settlements for gridelement participation, including data communication through thecoordinator and/or translator to interact with legacy systems, asneeded, and to interact with the grid elements and/or their controllingowner through network-based IP communication of actual participationwith supply, curtailment as supply, and/or consumption or usage of power(demand), wherein the data rate sampling of activity for participationand corresponding settlements are provided on a less-than-15-minuteinterval, preferably less than 10 minutes, and more preferably less than5 minutes. Exemplary data sampling techniques are provided in unrelatedart, such as for 95^(th) percentile metering, with such techniques asset forth in the article entitled “95^(th) percentile bandwidth meteringexplained and analyzed,” (written by Dylan Vanderhoof, dated Apr. 4,2011) for datacenter bandwidth metering as described in the articlebeing incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

By contrast to the settlement systems and methods of the presentinvention, OASIS is an example of prior art that reserves capacity ontransmission subsystems at boundaries where transmission control betweentwo grid operators intersect. OASIS “tags” transmission capacity atthese boundaries; only providing that information at boundaries, notablybecause the utility or grid operator owns or controls the lines withinthe boundaries. New developments in the FERC regulated transmissionsubsystems allowing for the private ownership of transmission lines thatalso regulated by tariff and by FERC also must present capacityinformation to industry accepted market information subsystems at theboundaries. Without actual loss information as present art provides, thelikelihood that consumers (loads) are overpaying for inefficiencies ofthe “wires” reaches as high as 50% in some estimates of the industry. Ifthe information and transformation of grid elements provided by thedescribed art provides more capacity for the “wires” utility or gridoperator, the transmission distribution service provider (TDSP) sellsmore electricity at higher rates if real-time measured data is availableand used for settlement, rather than merely extending to all consumers,as a percentage and/or flat fee charge in addition to usage-based,rate-based charges. There is otherwise no incentive for utilities/TDSPswho are rate-based to improve the efficiency of the electric grid fordistribution and transmission within their boundaries. The present artteaches away from legacy methods by necessity. Without the present art,long term costs of power for end-consumers will dramatically increase asworld-wide power consumption is projected to double in the next 20 yearswhile capacity within the networks of most utilities is not beingreplaced and new transmission subsystems are not keeping pace withdemand. Public Policy and FERC have recognized these facts hence theissuance of the aforementioned FERC orders, with more to come, andprojections from the NERC Long Term Reliability Assessment reportprojecting capacity margins declining in most RTOs, utility serviceareas and other geodetic references.

The coordinator within the systems and methods of the present inventionprovides for settlement for grid element(s) participation in theelectric power grid by energy and communications routing through andwith the existing settlement infrastructure for the electric power grid.The systems and methods further include at least one translator orconverter to work within the legacy systems, ISO, market participants,etc. for the electric power grid for importing and exporting data andinformation relating to settlement. This data is integratedautomatically by the systems and methods of the present invention at thetranslator or converter so that the data associated with the gridelement(s) participation in supply or demand curtailment as supply, orload (power consumption), and translate the data for use in automatedreal-time settlement. Preferably, the automated real-time settlementincludes actual, measured data for each of the grid elements,transformed into kilowatt packet (KWP) units. Also, preferably, KWPs arefurther combined with power supply value (PSV), and aggregated to form aminimum power trading block (PTB), and combinations, as required foroptimized and maximized settlement values for load and for generation,respectively, i.e., power consumers are charged accurately for actualpower consumed, and generation supply providers are paid maximally fortheir participation (availability for supply and/or actual supply), dueto the improved data accuracy, and improved data availability (more dataand/or continuous data supply, or anything improved over the standard,which is about 15 minute intervals). Preferably, financial settlementfor each of the grid elements is provided by systems and methods of thepresent invention for participation by grid elements in real-time orless than 15 minute interval data-time.

Grid Elements Registration & Communication

The present invention provides a system for electric power grid elementand network management including: at least one grid element constructedand configured for electrical connection and network-based communicationwith a server and/or a processor operatively coupled with a memory;wherein the grid element is transformed into at least one active gridelement after initial connection with the server and/or the processoroperatively coupled with the memory via a network. Preferably, thetransformation for grid elements is automatic and/or autonomous. In oneembodiment of the present invention, the server and/or processor coupledwith memory initiates the transformation of the at least one gridelement into the active grid element. In another case, the at least onegrid element transmits a signal or communicates a message to the serverat the point of initial connection with the server via the network,and/or the at least one grid element communicates a signal or a messageto initiate its transformation via registration with the electric powergrid; preferably, the signal or the message is routed through aCoordinator, which routes the message to a grid operator's appropriatesubsystem depending on the function of the grid element. For gridstability, supply, and curtailment technologies functioning as supply ascontemplated by FERC Order 745 the message must be routed to an EMS.Also, preferably, the message further includes at least one of: ageodetic reference, a grid element identifier, a grid element type, agrid element function, a grid element capacity and or energy capability,a grid element profile, a grid element attachment point reference, gridelement telemetry capabilities and requirements based upon its function,a grid element power supply value (PSV), a grid element power tradeblock (PTB) value, a grid element balancing authority association, agrid element owner identifier, a grid element compatibility identifier,and combinations thereof.

Also preferably, the network-based communication is a standards-basedcommunication or a proprietary communications protocol, and thecommunication is routable through a router and/or through a Coordinator,wherein the Coordinator receives and sends messages through acommunications router. A translator is preferably further associatedwith the settlement processor and/or coordinator(s), for example, butnot limited to the illustration of FIG. 1 . The message includes aderived Power Supply Value that meets the minimum requirements formeasurement, verification and reporting accuracy as determined by theGoverning Entity that regulates the operation of the electric power gridthat includes utilities, market participants and/or grid operators suchthat the derived PSV is settled in the appropriate power market by asettlement manager or appropriate market participant or entitydetermining economic benefits associated with the provision of supplyand/or curtailment by the active grid elements registered and functionalwithin the electric power grid and responsive to the needs andrequirements of the grid. Also, the message has a deliver priorityincluding at least one of a plurality of methods to include priorityaccess flags, virtual private networks, independent identifyingaddresses (MAC, IP, Electronic Serial Numbers), manufacturers specificidentifying codes, or combinations thereof, wherein the methods complywith standards as determined by the governing entity that regulates gridoperations for utilities, market participants or grid operators. Also,the active grid element(s) further includes at least one mobile ornetwork device having at least one access point name (APN) for providinga priority of delivery for the message.

The present invention provides for a plurality of grid elements thattransform into a corresponding plurality of active grid elements afterinitial connection with the server via the network, and the at least onegrid element includes at least one electrical device, a device thatconsumes electric power from an electric power grid, and/or a devicethat provides power to an electric power grid, a control device, thatoperates, programs, and/or updates other active grid elements. Activegrid elements are eligible to participate in settlement-relatedactivities, as illustrated in FIG. 1 , and described hereinabove. Thus,grid elements are also selected from the group consisting of: a sensor,a transmission reporting or control device, a distribution systemreporting or control device, a power-consuming device, an appliance, anyinductive device that consumes power, any resistive device that consumespower, a meter (revenue grade or non-revenue grade), a switch, acontroller, a control device, a thermostat, a building control system, asecurity device, any other distribution automation and elements that arepart of distribution system such as transformers, traditional and solidstate bi-directional, capacitor banks, reclosers, and combinationsthereof. Also, at least one of the grid elements is under the control ofan energy management system (EMS) associated with the electric powergrid. Preferably, systems and methods of the present invention providefor micro-economic dispatch capabilities, including sub-micro-economicdispatch, and settlement therefor, which provide for security of gridoperations and corresponding settlement for grid element participationin response to information provided by ISOs relating to outage, pricing,transmission congestion, and combinations thereof. The systems andmethods of the present invention provide micro-level responsivenesssince each grid element's participation includes forecasting modelingassociated with “asset” availability at the macro level, as well assub-EMS level market economic modeling at the resource node at the microlevel, with all communications relating to the micro-level beingcommunicated through the coordinator to allow KWP, PSV, and aggregationto form at least one PTB for grid element participation andcorresponding financial settlement for that participation.

Following the registration through the Coordinator, the transformationrelating to the active grid element enables the active grid element toprovide status and function for providing normal and emergency gridoperation, energy flows, transmission losses, reactive power, operatingreserves and/or grid stabilization for the electric power grid, and thetransformation is registered in a database, and the database isregistered with an ISO, BA, Market Participant, NERC, utility servicearea, and/or FERC. For security and management by the Coordinator,preferably each of the at least one grid elements has a unique gridelement identifier associated with it. Where the Coordinator interactswith or interfaces with legacy systems, in particular relating tosettlement, as illustrated in FIG. 1 , the Coordinator preferablyupdates the legacy systems associated with the grid and relevant to thegrid element(s) through the translator or other dedicated softwareinterface with the legacy systems.

The present invention also provides a multiplicity of databasesconstructed and configured in network-based communication for receivingregistration data from a multiplicity of active grid elements, whereinat least one Coordinator for routing messages from the multiplicity ofactive grid elements through the network connecting the databases, andwherein servers operating the databases exchange information associatedwith the active grid elements for affecting electric grid operations,reporting, and/or stabilization, including service oriented architecture(SOA), Web Services (Web Services Description Language “WSDL”),published APIs, private APIs, and combinations thereof. Also,registration of grid elements and information or data relating to theirtransformation into active grid elements, including the attributes ofthe active grid elements, are stored in the databases for predeterminedperiods of time for use with economic and energy accounting settlementassociated with the active grid elements, and the registrationinformation associated with active grid elements is used to determineattachment points to the electric power grid for distribution andtransmission of power, and is further combined with information aboutthe generation, transmission, and distribution system of the electricpower grid, stored in the database, and processed with analytics tosimulate modeling for attachment of active grid elements to the electricpower grid. Furthermore, the registration information associated withactive grid elements is used for communication with an EMS or other gridsubsystems necessary for normal or emergency grid operations.Additionally, a registration is made for each active grid element, andthe registration complies with regulations and/or standards establishedby Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) North American ElectricReliability Commission (NERC), Independent System Operator (ISO),Regional Transmission Organization (RTO), and/or a governing authorityfor the electric power grid. In any case, the server communicates amessage to each of the at least one active grid elements after theinitial connection and registration through the coordinator via thenetwork, wherein the message is an IP-based message, which is preferablytransmitted over a plurality of Ethernet capable communicationsnetworks, wired or wirelessly transmitted over a communications network.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the system furtherincludes an interface that facilitates communication of the message withthe grid elements, the interface including an IP-based interface, whichis selected from the group consisting of WIMAX, High Speed Packet Access(HSPA), Evolution for Data Only (EVDO), Long Term Evolution (LTE), anyfirst or second generation wireless transport method such as EDGE, orCode Division Multiple Access, Ethernet, any proprietary Layer 1-4protocol that contains or is capable of transporting an InternetProtocol message, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, thepresent invention further includes a security interface associated witheach of the grid elements operable to receive security system messagesfrom at least one remotely-located security system, wherein the securityinterface is standards-based or determined by the governing entity thatregulates grid operations for utilities, market participants or gridoperators.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for smartelectric power grid communication is provided, including: a grid elementconstructed and configured for electrical connection and network-basedcommunication with a server associated with an electric power grid;wherein the grid element is transformed into an active grid elementafter initial connection with the electric power grid, and wherein thegrid element includes a unique identifier. Preferably, thetransformation is automatic and/or autonomous, following initialactivation of the grid element, and then the grid element isauthenticated, registered, and then performs the function intended to dowithin the grid. So then as grid elements are transformed to active gridelements for participation in the electric power grid, in particular forthose having a function intended as providing supply, includingproviding the TDSP with a network simulation model, as part of theregistration process, the grid element has either loaded in itsprocessor and memory or is capable of downloading grid information thatallows for the grid to “self model” the impact of the attachment of thatelement to the grid.

Preferably, the grid element transmits a signal or a message to theserver, more preferably through a Coordinator, for registering with theelectric power grid, and communicates wirelessly with the server,preferably via IP messaging with the server after attachment to theelectric power grid. Such apparatus embodiments for active grid elementsinclude or are selected from the group consisting of: a sensor, apower-consuming device, an appliance, a meter, distribution and/ortransmission elements, telemetry elements, power supplying device,storage device, controller, and combinations thereof.

In methods for electric power grid network management, the presentinvention includes the steps of: providing at least one grid elementconstructed and configured for electrical connection and network-basedcommunication with a server, energizing the at least one grid elementand/or connecting the at least one grid element to an electric powergrid; the at least one grid element making an initial connection withthe server via a network and communicating a message to the server; andthe at least one grid element automatically transforming into at leastone active grid element for functioning actively within the electricpower grid. Preferably, the method further includes the step of: the atleast one grid element sending and/or receiving a message viacommunication with the server via the network, wherein the message isrouted by a coordinator to the server. Also preferably, thecommunication is wireless transmission, and includes wireless IP-basedmessaging.

In operation of the system and methods of the present invention, thecommunication further includes power event messages that further includeat least one of: status of device(s), supply source(s), and/or demand;location of attachment; line losses; distribution and transmissioncapacity information; and combinations thereof, and the power eventmessages are based upon inputs initiated from a market participant, autility, or an electric grid operator. Also, the power event messagesinclude information about PSV or PTB associated with the at least onegrid element.

While present invention relates generally to the field of electricalpower control systems and more particularly to systems, methods, andapparatus embodiments for transforming grid elements into active gridelements following an initial registration with the electric power gridthrough a coordinator, following transformation of the grid elements toactive grid elements, the electric power grid is functional for activemanagement of power supply from any electric power generation source orstorage device for introduction to an electric power grid, and/or loadcurtailment for consideration as supply. Preferably, these systems andmethods and any apparatus embodiments of the present invention are incompliance with standards that are currently contemplated and arechanging in response to the recognized need in the United States andother countries where the electric utility grid is not fully developed,but the demand for energy is expected to grow substantially over thelife of the invention (e.g., NERC, FERC orders 745, 750, 755, etc.).Once transformed into active grid elements, the present inventionsystems, methods, and apparatus embodiments are operable to furtherprovide for actively managing power supply from any generation sourcesupply or storage and/or power supply from curtailment events applied toload consuming devices, thereby creating operating reserves forutilities and market participants, while optionally tracking powersavings for both the individual customer, broadly defined as anyconsumer of electrical power whether this is an individual residentialconsumer, a large commercial/industrial customer or any combinationthereof inclusive of retail electric providers and market participants,as well as the electric utility or electric power generation sourcesupply (GSS), whether generating or distributing power for the electricpower grid. Therefore, active grid elements include functionality forpower generation supply, power storage supply, and/or load curtailmentas supply, as well as load-consuming elements, telemetry elements,sensors, meters, controls, and combinations thereof. Where active gridelements change location or attachment to the electric power grid, thentheir active grid element attributes change accordingly to indicate thenew, updated location and/or attachment point information or data. Wherea portion of the electric power grid changes due to normal operation, ordue to any element being out of service for any reason, includingdysfunction of distribution and/or transmission of electric power alongthe lines to active grid elements and/or the communications networkchanges or has dysfunction, then preferably, the active grid elementsare acknowledged by the system through the coordinator upon theirreconnection with the grid and/or communications network. Furthermore,any active grid element is replaced with a new or substitute gridelement, or taken out of service for more than a predetermined period oftime, then the replacement or substitute grid element must be registeredto be transformed into an active grid element as with any new gridelement being introduced into service at any location or attachmentpoint associated with the electric power grid. Where reconfiguration,repair, or other updating occurs, corresponding information related tothe reconfiguration, repair, or other updating associated with eachactive grid element is communicated through the coordinator and updatedin the database.

Grid Functionality

The following descriptions and definitions are included herein for thepurpose of clarifying terms used in the claims and specification of thepresent invention, in addition to explanation of the relevant prior art,including the PRIOR ART figures and those figures illustrating thepresent invention.

Power Distribution Engineering: Fundamentals and Applications, James J.Burke, Marcel Dekker, Inc., NY (1994), describes basic power electricpower systems, including distribution and transmission throughout anelectric power grid, and grid elements and basic functionality of gridelements, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Also,acronyms and abbreviations and definitions for terms related to electricpower grids and systems and grid elements associated therewith, andregulations and authorities related thereto, are known in the art, andare also defined in the book Creating Competitive Power Markets: the PJMModel, Jeremiah D. Lambert, Pennwell (2001), and are incorporated hereinby reference.

When curtailment or supply is provided in a distributed manner from aplurality of sources through some of the grid elements of the presentinvention, capacity is also created on the transmission and distributionsystem that is used to carry the physical energy to the load consumingdevices, and/or the attachment point of the supply devices, and thoseconsumers at their attachment point to the grid. This is sometimesreferred to in both the industry and the description of the presentinvention as a “service point” and represents any attachment point alongan electric grid whereby the physical layer of wires meets the physicalattachment of either load or supply that is used in accordance with thepresent invention. The creation of capacity for these “wired” networksis in itself new to the art, and is tracked with the other messagingdescribed in the present invention via the Coordinator and with specificmessaging that is used and identified for the purpose of transmissionand distribution capacity created along every grid element that is usedto distribute electric power in the electric power grid. These createdcapacities are preferably aggregated by service point, by attachmentwires, by transformer, by feeder wire, by substation/electrical bus, bytransmission line(s), by grid area, by geodetic points, by utility or MPservice area, by LMP, by balancing authority, by state, by interconnect,by ISO, and combinations thereof. Thus, created capacity by active gridelements according to the present invention, includes both the actualcapacity due to supply introduction or load curtailment, and/or thelocation of the capacity created, which is a function of the attachmentpoint and with respect to the electrical bus (substation) and/ortransmission feeder that is supplying it. This capacity is reported tothe financial settlement system through the Coordinator and/ortranslator; in the case of translator communication, a translatorinterface is provided with the legacy elements, e.g., OASIS;alternatively, the Coordinator and/or translator tracks the capacity andhas a market price input for transmission costs for the purposes ofproviding a settlement for the created capacity.

The present invention provides systems, apparatus, and methods formanaging a multiplicity of grid elements that function within anelectric power grid, and for managing the settlement associated withtheir active participation in the grid. Following registration andtransformation into active grid elements, the system provides fortransmission and distribution of electric power supplied by an electricutility and/or other market participants to a multiplicity of the activegrid elements (including but not limited to devices and nodes), some ofwhich consume power, some supply power, some store power, andcombinations. Active grid elements function within the grid to providefor supply and/or load curtailment as supply. Each of the active gridelements have a Power Supply Value (PSV) associated with its energyconsumption and/or reduction in consumption and/or supply (throughgeneration and/or storage). And each grid element further operates tocommunicate (send and/or receive) messaging that is preferably managedthrough a network by a Coordinator using IP-messaging for communicationwith the active grid elements, with the energy management system (EMS),and with the utilities, market participants, and/or grid operators.However, in some cases, messaging is provided between grid elementswithout passing through a Coordinator.

Before describing in detail exemplary embodiments that are in accordancewith the present invention, note that the embodiments reside primarilyin combinations of system and apparatus components, and processingsteps, communications, protocols, messaging and transport all related toactively managing power load or supply on an individual subscriber basisand optionally tracking power savings incurred by both individualsubscribers and an electric utility or other market participant, all ofwhich directly involve active grid elements of the present invention.Accordingly, the systems, apparatus, and method steps components havebeen represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in thedrawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent tounderstanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not toobscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the descriptionherein.

As used in accordance with the description of the present invention NERCis described and defined as follows:http://www.nerc.com/files/Glossary_12Feb08.pdf. Balancing Authority(BA), as used in accordance with the description of the presentinvention is defined as the responsible entity that integrates resourceplans ahead of time, maintains load-interchange-generation balancewithin a Balancing Authority Area, and supports Interconnectionfrequency in real time. Balancing Authority Area (BAA), as used inaccordance with the description of the present invention is defined asthe collection of generation, transmission, and loads within the meteredboundaries of the Balancing Authority. The Balancing Authority (BA)maintains load-resource balance within this area (BAA).

Also, if demand changes so abruptly and quantifiably as to cause asubstantial fluctuation in line frequency within the utility's electricgrid, the utility must respond to and correct for the change in linefrequency. To do so, utilities typically employ an Automatic GenerationControl (AGC) process or subsystem to control the utility's regulatingreserve. This subsystem when coupled with transmission, generation anddistribution telemetry, processors, and industry standard software inits aggregate is referred to as an Energy Management System (EMS) asexemplified and manufactured for the energy sector by many OEMs such as,by way of example, GE, OSIsoft, and Areva. To determine whether asubstantial change in demand has occurred, each utility monitors itsArea Control Error (ACE). A utility's ACE is equal to the difference inthe scheduled and actual power flows in the utility grid's tie linesplus the difference in the actual and scheduled frequency of thesupplied power multiplied by a constant determined from the utility'sfrequency bias setting.

The aggregation of the longstanding, unmet needs in the relevant art isthe basis for new innovation, including solutions offered by the presentinvention, having systems and apparatus components that include thefollowing attributes:

-   -   a. The system, apparatus, methods and devices utilize        standards-based Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) Layer 1-4        communications protocols with a plurality of security encryption        methods.    -   b. The communication layer is Internet Protocol (V4 or V6 or its        derivatives thereof) based such that the messages, instructions,        commands, measurements and telemetry is transmitted via physical        layer delivered Ethernet, first generation wireless        communications methods (analog or digital), second generation        communications methods such as Code Division Multiple Access        (1XRTT), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), third        generation protocols such as Evolution for Data Only (EVDO),        High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Fourth Generation protocols        Long Term Evolution (LTE), IEEE 802.11 (X) WIFI, or any        derivative standard approved by the IEEE, International        Telecommunications Union or any domestic or international        standards body or any proprietary protocols that operates in        near real time and contain an Internet Protocol packet for the        transmittal of their command, control, telemetry, measurement,        verification, and/or settlement information, whether wired or        wireless.    -   c. The command and control for the purpose of (b) is created and        controlled from a centralized processor, a distributed        processing apparatus, or at the device level.    -   d. The aggregation of these methods result in the creation of        real-time load curtailment that is classified broadly as “Demand        Response”, macro or distributed generation and includes native        load (i.e., real-time supply) as required by the electric power        grid where the invention is utilized, and also be utilized to        create Operating Reserves as defined by NERC, FERC, and/or any        other governing body that regulates the operation of an electric        power grid and/or utilities or other market participant        providing power to an electric power grid.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating at least one coordinator anda multiplicity of grid elements within a system and methods of thepresent invention. Grid elements illustrated for example, and notlimitation of the present invention, include smart appliances, smartmeters, building control systems, sensors, storage devices, powergenerators (including alternative energy sources like wind, solar,water, etc.), active load clients (ALCs), active load directors (ALDs),active supply clients (ASCs), active supply directors (ASDs),controllers, coordinators, distribution elements, transmission elementsnecessary for grid operations and stability, and combinations thereof.Following registration with the system, and transformation to activegrid elements for managed participation within the electrical power gridand corresponding systems and methods of the present invention, theactive grid elements communicate with and through at least onecoordinator and to the energy management system (EMS) or other gridoperations subsystems, such as RTO/ISO operations systems, transmissionoperation systems, distribution operation systems, and functionaccording to their intended purpose. By way of example and notlimitation, a smart meter provides meter functions to track andcommunicate load consumed by one or more active grid elements and/ordevices; a thermostat or building control system provides for HVACand/or environmental conditions indication and control, includingtemperature management, humidity, lighting, security, etc.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating grid elements, attachmentpoints, and telemetry through a network associated with the systems ofthe present invention. FIG. 4 illustrates at least one controlling orparticipating entity, selected from the group consisting of a gridoperator, utility, market participant, retail electric provider and/ordistributor, and combinations thereof, an EMS, in electrical powerconnection and communication with a multiplicity of active gridelements, all within at least one balancing authority (BA), and allconnected through an electrical power grid and communicationsnetwork(s). The active grid elements provide telemetry and messagingrelating to a multiplicity of grid element attributes and/or gridelement factors, including but not limited to attachment pointinformation, geodetic information, status, capacity, grid elementidentifier(s), grid element profile(s), power consumption and flows(instantaneous and historical), and combinations thereof. Preferablycommunication among active grid elements and the controlling orparticipating authority is provided over a network and routed through atleast one coordinator via Ethernet and/or IP connectivity. In oneembodiment, a counter is also included for tracking packets, and packetswitching and routing is provided within the systems and methods of thepresent invention, wherein network communication for energy routing andenergy information routing is provided with a messaging structure havinglayering, similar to an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) modelincluding layers for application, presentation, session, transport,network, data link, and physical communication functions, which definesthe communications tasks of the system, and which provides a verticalset of layers forming a communication infrastructure for interconnectionover public and private networks. Information describing general OSImodel communication structures and functionality is known to one ofordinary skill in the art and described in Data and ComputerCommunications by William Stallings, MacMillan NY (1985), which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The structure of OSI modeling for the systems and methods of the presentinvention are considered to provide communications networks for use incoordination with the physical structure and network of the electricpower grid and the active grid elements registered therewith, and, inone embodiment, further includes TCP/IP. Ideally, the OSI model forcommunication network is integrated with the physical network forelectric power distribution and transmission, including active gridelements and controls, database, server, coordination with supply andload, etc. The present invention provides for the application of anenergy network (i.e., the electric power grid) and a communicationsnetwork, including the OSI-based model, and coordination to integratethe messaging with the power movement through the system.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary network nodeconfiguration for grid elements registration and communication. In oneembodiment of the present invention, the network for communicationinvolving active grid elements and the coordinator and/or other gridelements includes a packet-switched network that is used to acceptpackets from a source node and deliver them to a destination node, suchas in the case wherein a grid element makes initial registration withthe system by sending an initial communication to a coordinator, and thecoordinator responds and the systems and methods of the presentinvention then provide for automatic and/or autonomous transformationinto active grid elements, wherein at the moment of registration theactive grid elements are functional within the electric power grid toperform their designated or predetermined operations and roles orfunctions. FIG. 3 illustrates an example network configurationillustrating a multiplicity of paths or routes through a network forcommunication and energy routing within the electric power grid. Theconnections between active grid elements and coordinator(s) and otheractive grid elements are illustrated. In preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, at least one balancing authority (BA) includes atleast one coordinator in network-based communication with a multiplicityof active grid elements, and further connected in electrical and datacommunication connections with at least one source of power and at leastone EMS. By way of example, a new grid element prior to registrationwith the system of the present invention initiates a signal or messagevia the network following its initial energizing with power from anysource (battery or externally-supplied power), wherein initial messageincludes at least one of the following: unique grid element identifier,equipment identifier, class of service information, capability,capacity, function information, geodetic information (GPS, physicaladdress, etc.), attachment point, IP address information, communicationformat and content information, security, authentication information,and combinations thereof. Thus, after initial energizing of the at leastone grid element, the grid element searches for at least one networkavailable for communication with the electric power grid, preferablywith the coordinator, and determines how to engage with the coordinatoror at least to establish initial network communication with thecoordinator, identification of network protocol, etc. A networkidentifier is included in the transformation and network interface foreach of the at least one grid elements. Preferably, messaging betweenthe at least one grid element and the at least one coordinator isprovided by IP-based messaging over the network. Following the initialresponse and registration of the at least one grid element, there is atransformation into at least one active grid element, which providesthat each of the at least one active grid elements is operable tofunction automatically and/or autonomously for its predeterminedfunction within the electric power grid, including telemetry atpredetermined intervals, continuously, or when change in state occursfor each of the at least one active grid elements.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the registration ofgrid elements is provided using one or more of the following forproviding unique identification for each grid element: messaging and/orsignaling between active, inactive, IP address, V4, V6, proprietary,mesh or direct, TDM or pots, analog or digital telemetry, RFIDs, andcombinations thereof. A registration for grid elements further includesregistration into a home network or a visitor network, and/or movementof any of the active grid elements (following transformation afterinitial registration) to different locations or geographies and/or todifferent or new attachment points provides for at least one update ofstatus for the movement or change for that active grid element.Attachment points are preferably provided in a location register that isdefined by proximity to an electric bus or substation within theelectric power grid, or any other predetermined geodetic location withinthe physical structure of the electric power grid.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a distribution automationcommunications network as part of systems and methods of the presentinvention, including a main communications ring having a multiplicity ofactive grid elements associated therewith, and further including atleast one master control center and corresponding database, SCADAmaster, AMR master, switches and electrical network lines andconnections (copper wire) and communications network lines andconnections (fiber) and at least one distributed ring having amultiplicity of active grid elements associated therewith. In thisexemplary network sector, the active grid elements and electrical powernetwork and communications network are included within one balancingauthority (BA). Several active grid elements function as meters and/orsmart meters and provide for automated meter telemetry through thenetwork from the grid elements to at least one coordinator. In a typicalnetwork architecture, at least one core network for a balancingauthority is provided, and wherein a multiplicity of grid elements areconstructed and configured in electric power transmission and/ordistribution connection and network-based communication connection forsending and receiving messages between each of the grid elements and atleast one Coordinator.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing energy systems operations andcommunications network-based connections as part of systems and methodsof the present invention, including compatibility and/or compliance withUS National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) standardsapplicable to transmission and/or distribution lines for the electricpower grid in communications network connectivity with a multiplicity ofgrid elements, market participant(s), utility or electric powergenerator supplier and/or third party energy provider (for GSS, asdescribed hereinbelow), an energy market clearinghouse (ECM), anaggregator for providing at least one power trading block (PTB) forsettlement for energy supply and/or curtailment as supply providing byat least one of a multiplicity of grid elements, including powerconsuming devices, ALCs, ALDs, ASCs, ASDs, and at least one coordinator.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a basic AGC/energy managementsystem (EMS) representation.

The present invention provides automated advanced settlements forIP-based active power management (load and supply) systems having activegrid elements, which have predetermined functionality within theelectric power grid, and are addressable with IP-based messaging withinthe communications network by an active load director (ALD) and/orCoordinator wherein the messaging occurs over communication networks,such as the Internet. The present invention improves and expands uponprior art systems and methods, including U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,022 issuedSep. 24, 1996, filed Jul. 19, 1994 by inventors Dunstand, et al., andassigned on the face of the document to Intel Corporation, for Powermanagement coordinator system and interface, which is, including itsspecification and figures, incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

US patent applications for the following: U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/528,596 filed Jun. 20, 2012, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FORACTIVELY MANAGING ELECTRIC POWER OVER AN ELECTRIC POWER GRID; U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/549,429 filed Jul. 14, 2012, entitledMethod and Apparatus for Actively Managing Electric Power Supply for anElectric Power Grid; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/563,535filed Jul. 31, 2012, entitled SYSTEM, METHOD, AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRICPOWER GRID AND NETWORK MANAGEMENT OF GRID ELEMENTS; all by commoninventor to this patent application, Joseph W. Forbes, Jr., each ofwhich, including their complete specification, figures and descriptions,are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, provide detaileddescriptions of the systems, methods, and apparatus embodiments relatingto active management of electric power grids and their correspondingsupply and demand components. By way of example, Active Supply Director(ASD) and Active Supply Client or Element (ASC) provide for thecorresponding management of electric power available or actuallysupplied to the electric power grid, whether by Generation Source Supply(GSS) elements or by Storage Source Supply (SSS), including battery orfuel cell, or compressed air, stored water, or any subsystem thatincludes a potential for discharging electricity as stored energy to theelectric power grid, available for discharge or actually discharged intothe grid. In any case, whether electric power supply for the grid isprovided by generation or load curtailment, the supply is evaluated andrated by Power Supply Value (PSV) and Power Trade Block (PTB), whichindicates the amount of power, including aggregated amounts acceptablefor settlement by the grid, which are communicated by the active gridelements through the Coordinator and then to an energy managementclearinghouse for settlement based upon PSV, PTB, and market factorsassociated with and communicated by the active grid elements and timing,duration, quality, type of event (for supply and/or demand response)within the electric power system energy management to the coordinator.Preferably, all information required for settlement is communicatedwithin the systems and methods and by apparatus embodiments of thepresent invention, automatically and/or autonomously and preferably withIP-based messaging via the network; this information is routed by atleast one coordinator and stored in memory in a database that isaccessible by the energy management clearinghouse.

Each active grid element associated with supplying power and/orproviding load curtailment within the electric power grid, includes withits attributes at least one Power Supply Value (PSV) associated with itsactivity and function within the grid. Power Supply Value (PSV) isestimated, modeled, measured, and/or determined or calculated at themeter or submeter, building control system, supply source, or at anydevice or controller that measures electric power within the standard assupplied by the regulatory body(ies) that govern the regulation of thegrid. PSV depends on operating tolerances, operating standard foraccuracy of the measurement. Notably, the PSV provides a uniform,systematic unit for addressing the power curtailment or power supplythat is responsive to an energy management system (EMS) or equivalentfor providing grid stability, reliability, frequency as determined bygoverning authority, grid operator, market participant, utility, and/orregulations applicable to the electric power grid operations. The PSVenables transformation of curtailment or reduction in power, in additionto the introduction of power supply to the grid, at the device level byany system, apparatus, and/or device that sends or receives an IPmessage to be related to or equated to supply as presented to thegoverning entity that accepts these values and award supply equivalence.PSV is provided in units of electrical power units, flow, monetaryequivalent, and combinations thereof. The PSV and/or PTB addresses thelongstanding unmet need within the electric power management systems fora consistent or standard unit(s) that provide for blocks or bundles ofenergy are introduced, aggregated, and settled; the prior art nowhereteaches or discloses these functional units. Thus, the present inventionincludes a PSV that provides a unit for measuring and settling for eachactive grid element the power available for/introduced to the electricpower grid and/or the curtailment power available (consistent with FERCorders 745, 750, 755) as a requirement for providing supply to the powergrid, and, particularly wherein the supply to the power grid is providedfor grid stability, voltage stability, reliability, and combinationsthereof. Notably, “high performance reserves” from FERC order 755 coversfor “deadband”, i.e., the time between receipt of reg-up/reg-down,recognition of that order, and response to impact on the grid, which isabout 5 minutes for high performance reserves, which are faster forsupply than the traditional utilities.

PSV is preferably settled as traditional power delivery or curtailmentsystems at the nearest interconnection point, Location Marginal Price(LMP), node, transmission interconnection, balancing authority, utilityservice area, retail electric provider service area, ISO, state, andcombinations thereof, i.e., settlement is available at the point ofdelivery and/or acceptance (or attachment point), and is facilitated byALC, ASC, Coordinator, metering device, smart meter, sub-meter, andcombinations thereof, or any revenue grade device accepted by thegoverning authority to determine PSV and/or settlement for each activegrid element. Also preferably, PSV includes consideration for linelosses proximal to those devices and/or grid elements, if not throughreal-time metrics then through modeling and/or estimation. Furthermore,regarding PSV and other metrics, where no real-time metrics forverification and settlement exist, modeling is used. Preferably,analytics is used in connection with the present invention for modeling,estimation, optimization, and combinations, such as those analyticstaught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,180,622, 8,170,856, 8,165,723, 8,155,943,8,155,908, 8,131,401, 8,126,685, 8,036,872, 7,826,990, 7,844,439,7,840,395, 7,729,808, 7,840,396, 7,844,440, 7,693,608, and US PatentApplication Publication Nos. 20070239373, 20080262820, 20080263469,20090076749, 20090083019, 20090105998, 20090113049, 20100023309,20100049494, 20100168931, 20100268396, 20110082596, 20110082597, all ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The present invention methods, systems, devices, and apparatus providetransformation of grid elements to active grid elements following theirautomatic registration with IP-based messaging communicated via thenetwork and preferably through a coordinator. Following registration,the active grid elements operate according to their respective intendedfunctions, and also preferably continue to have automatic communicationsand messaging via the network through at least one coordinator. Becauseof the automatic and preferably autonomous registration and ongoingmessaging, active grid elements operate collectively for managing flowof power for an electric grid, micro grid, or other system, orcombinations thereof, more particularly the supply of electric power forthe grid, whether by generation, storage for discharge, electricvehicles (EV), which function as transportable storage and loadconsuming devices, either standalone or in aggregate, (and must betracked to ensure proper settlement and grid stability management),and/or load curtailment, and function to ensure grid stability and tosupply electric power from any source of power generation, storage,and/or curtailment that equates to supply.

According to the present invention, grid stabilizing metrics includingvoltage, current, frequency, power factor, reactive and inductive power,capacitance, phase control, and/or any other grid metric that isrequired by a grid operator, market participant, utility, and the like,to operate and maintain electric power grid stability as determined bythe grid operator or the governing entity therefor. Preferably, thesemetrics are monitored and/or measured at a multiplicity of points, andmore preferably using active grid elements and their attributes andstatus information throughout the electric power grid, including but notlimited to locations within or at the distribution system, transmissionsystem, electrical bus (substation), generation source, supply controldevices, load control devices, load consuming devices (particularlythose involved in curtailment activities), at least one Coordinator, andcombinations thereof. The metrics apply to any size and type of activegrid element, regardless whether the generation source is macro innature, e.g., large scale generation such as large coal, nuclear, gas orother traditional or non-traditional sources of generation, micro-gridgeneration, emergency back-up power generation, alternative energygeneration, e.g., wind, solar, etc., or a power storage device or fuelcell that is potentially available for discharge.

Also, at least one of the active grid elements includes client devicesor the associated power consuming or generation control devices have theability to independently execute commands from an Active Load Director(ALD), Active Load Client (ALC), a 3^(rd) party Energy Management System(EMS), Active Supply Director (ASD), Coordinator, Generation SourceSupply (GSS), Storage Source Supply (SSS), transmission/distributioncapacity, messaging, settlements, security, and combinations thereof,that provide for both load consuming and generation to engage with theelectric power grid at attachment points with assured grid stability asindicated by the grid stability metrics for compliance with requirementsof the grid operator, utility, market participant, grid governingauthority, and/or any other regulations applicable to the electric powergrid. All of these active grid elements preferably receive theircommands and send communications and/or messaging via an IP message viaa Coordinator or Layer 3 router capable of handling all current andfuture iterations of IP messaging contemplated during the life of thisinvention.

Also preferably, all messaging to and from active grid elements iscontrolled, managed, and transmitted through the Coordinator, whichcommunicates between the many active grid elements, including andfollowing their initial registration, and the EMS and/or grid operator,utility, governing authority, and combinations thereof. More preferably,all commands and communications are routed through and by theCoordinator, which is constructed and configured for direct and/orwireless communication with the multiplicity of grid elements, andfurther includes components of processor, memory, persistence layer,memory cache, messaging engine, security interface, status and/orchange-in-status indicator, geodetic locator, telemetry, connectionswith the network, software operable for managing and changing theconnections, database with software operable for storing and analyzingdata associated with transmission and distribution attachments, servicepoints, active grid elements, registration, authentication, PSV, PTB,identification, capacity and capability of load and supply, softwareversion control for active grid elements, software improvement control,software for settlement, and combinations thereof. Other switchelements, which, in one embodiment, are included as active gridelements, that are applicable to the Coordinator, and are included withthe present invention include customer identification andauthentication, customer security, attachment information andcapacities, reservations for utilizing the transmission and distributionsystem, signaling to the electric grid or its operator the plurality ofall the above. The Coordinator functions as an “energy router” wherebythe messaging required to route supply, demand andtransmission/distribution capacity to and from the grid isdifferentiated from pure communications routing and relates to gridstability and improved grid performance. Thus, the Coordinator is notmerely functional as a traditional telecommunications router, butfurther includes the aforementioned messaging, management, and controlfunctionality required for supply or curtailment to the electric powergrid. The Coordinator is consistent with compliance as contemplated inthe aforementioned FERC orders where frequency deviations, security, andgrid performance are all now needed in an era of aging gridinfrastructure and a changing and dynamic load environment where thelegacy macro grid and the interim “Smart Grid” elements are not capableof responding to the new needs that FERC and NERC have identified andcharged the market participants to solve, which have not yet been solvedby any prior art, but which are addressed by the present invention. Theenergy routing function of the coordinator serves as a traffic manager,and a messaging engine, to track all the active grid elements, securereservations and settlement information on the electric power grid andthe interface for one-to-many (i.e., one port for EMS to the many activegrid elements under the control of an EMS and supplying grid stabilityfrom the many to the one) allowing for microelements and distributedgeneration and distributed load curtailment to perform with the macrogrid without taxing and destroying the legacy infrastructure beyond itscapabilities and limitations; the Coordinator is further operable fortracking and maintaining status of all devices within its definedboundaries, or as described hereinabove with respect to PSV, ordetermined by the governing authority for the grid, which includes abalancing area, an ISO, a utility, a market participant, andcombinations thereof.

Preferably, the Coordinator manages all registered active grid elementsaccording to their characteristics, profiles associated therewith,location, and capability for responsiveness to the various electricpower grid resource requirements. The Coordinator further operates tomatch and prioritize these registered active grid elements and providesmessaging of their information and/or matching and prioritization tocommunication elements, including wireless and/or wireline carriers, sothat the messaging is then prioritized through any or all of thenetworks for communication of any messages to the utility, marketparticipant, grid operator, EMS, and combinations thereof, based uponthe grid resource requirements at any given time. Thus, the Coordinatorprovides priority “flags” on messaging that are able to be communicatedover existing telecommunications infrastructure to provide gridstability and resources messaging with priority messaging over otherinformation transmitted through those communications networks regardlessif they have been configured to offer priority or “class” of service ornot, VPNs or not. In particular, since electric power generation,distribution and transmission is part of critical infrastructure andprovides an asset for national security in many countries, including theUnited States of America, the present invention provides for enhancedcritical infrastructure security with the priority messaging associatedwith the Coordinator and allows the Coordinator to take advantage of newchip and ASIC technologies that will accommodate multiple routes, VPNs,APNs, and IP addresses per active grid element, ALC, ASD, GSS, SSS,Smart Meter, Service Point, transmission, distribution element orcombinations thereof.

The Coordinator is operable for and includes Layer 1-4 forcommunication, but additionally, and significantly, the Coordinatorfurther tracks and communicates and controls where elements are attachedto the grid, makes or communicates decisions about how the resources areused either with or without communication to any active grid element,including but not limited to ALD or ASD, or EMS, communicates the statusof any and all active grid elements to legacy distribution automationand transmission reporting subsystems and provides for new methods fordirect contribution by active grid elements to the grid stabilitythrough load curtailment and/or supply from any source, and forsettlement of same, and the security, authentication, initialregistration of the devices with the grid, ALD, ASD, market participant,grid operators, their legacy subsystems and/or EMS for the electricpower grid; and change of status for those active grid elements; andcombinations of these, while simultaneously facilitating and routingthose messages to the appropriate subsystem to achieve the supply,curtailment, and/or grid stability requested by the legacy subsystems,or through the present invention, all with IP-based messaging. Mostpreferably, using digitally encrypted secure IP messaging deliveredthrough a network via Ethernet, wireless messaging, or proprietarymethods, including carrier-grade wireless and/or wired networks forcommunication.

SCED—Security Constrained Economic Dispatch

Security messaging is provided by systems and methods of the presentinvention. NIST and NERC provide standards for encryption of data,market data is provided by rules according to those standards. Datagenerated in the systems and methods of the present invention forautomated financial settlements associated with the grid elementparticipation, due to the increased accuracy and timeliness of the data,are preferably provided with secure messaging and access consistent withthe standards for NIST and NERC, which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety (including the version published as of thedate of the filing of the present invention). Preferably, this data issecured and access is provided to market participants on a subscriptionbasis, provided that they agree to all security and data usagerequirements associated with market rules and privacy rules and/or lawsgoverning the electrical grid and/or energy markets. If regulatorybodies or market governing bodies deem the data to significantlyadvantage those who have adopted it, due to the speed and execution oftrading energy consumption, forecasting and projection, then the marketis able to purchase subscription access. By way of example, security isprovided in at least one form, such as VERISIGN and PAYPAL certificatesprovided to ensure secure financial transactions; group keys, dynamickeys, certificates, VPNs, etc. used with the communications of financialsettlement messaging according to the systems and methods of the presentinvention. Verisign authentication, and functionally similar securityservices associated with electronic communications of financialsettlement, which are incorporated herein by reference herein, includesSSL (secure socket layer), PKI (public key infrastructure), VerisignTrust Seal, and Verisign Identity Protection (VIP) services are owned bySymantec.

Priority messaging for financial settlement is also provided by systemsand methods of the present invention. OSI equivalent for financialmessaging, including price, consumption, location, trouble, loss ofconnectivity, increase or decrease consumption or supply (associatedwith price), etc. Prioritization for participation messaging is providedunder the present invention; initial registration is followed bymessaging associated with the grid element relating to participation,profiles, etc. Authentication is preferably included with registration,and any and all updating or changes to settings, profile, preferences,and particularly including location. Location defines resource node,attachment point, losses, electrical bus, PSV, PTB, and combinationsthereof, and therefore, financial settlement factors and final value ofsettlement for the participation for each of the grid elements.

The Coordinator operates further for communication of all telemetry,settlement, tracking, and combinations thereof for each active gridelement. All active grid elements associated with the grid for supplyand/or load curtailment are registered with the Coordinator and arerouted within one or more ports within the EMS, for example asillustrated in the Figures; thus, the Coordinator and its application orfunctionality within the electric power grid sends signals, telemetryand messaging for primary frequency control, grid stability, controlevents, dispatch schedules for supply sources (both pre-scheduled anddynamic/real time in response to electric power grid conditions), andcombinations thereof through messaging and coordination with the activegrid elements. The Coordinator also preferably includes functionalityfor clearing and reporting to and with transmission reservationssubsystems associated with the active grid elements. By way of example,prior art transmission reservations subsystems are represented bycompanies such as OATI's OASIS transmission reservation system(illustrated at the Internet website www.oatioasis.com), which isoverseen and regulated by FERC, but whose clearing and reporting isdeficient in enabling reservations below macro transmission levels, andwhose reservation systems include “firm” capacity and “non-firm”capacity that has very little value since its reliability is notassured. The present invention solves many of these problems and creates“actual measurable and verifiable transport capacity” by enhancing powerdistribution, settlement, and combinations thereof, by grid element, byservice point, by device and by consumer. Additionally, telemetry forsettlement for curtailment, supply from storage, and combinationsthereof, are managed through the Coordinator. The Coordinator is furtherconstructed, configured, and operable in IP-based or proprietarymessaging communication, for providing a routing and controlarchitecture and methods analogous to the OSI model used intelecommunications networks worldwide, applied for all active gridelements management and for supply, whether GSS or SSS, and loadcurtailment management for any of the multiplicity of active gridelements, and grid stability. The messages contemplated by this type ofenergy routing and capacity creation in itself creates the potential fora new standard for achieving FERC and NERC goals while seamlesslyintegrating into legacy subsystems of current art of macro electricutility architecture.

The method, system and apparatus embodiments of the present inventionfurther provide that the active grid elements are operable to sendchange in state messages in lieu of a constant stream of IP messages viaa telemetry path. The change-in-state messages provide the ability toonly communicate the “deltas” (or change in state) and have the ALD,ASD, and/or server transmit, send, or stream the telemetry from the last“known value” until that last known value has changed, by communicatinga “delta” message, rather than constantly streaming values, and isoperable to use “machine to machine” communications, text telemetry, orany low bit rate telemetry method that meets the requirements asestablished by the governing entity, but is capable of complying whilesimultaneously utilizing the transmission bandwidth and latency that isavailable at a service point or active grid element location. Thesechange-in-state messages associated with the active grid elementspreferably include the necessary information to report the Power SupplyValue (PSV), PTB, and/or any other grid stability messages on an eventbasis rather than merely a telemetry basis and to send those messagesthrough a server, and are transmitted to an energy management system(EMS) via a format as determined by the grid operator, microgridoperator, and/or other grid control entity while simultaneouslyachieving primary frequency control and grid stability at the servicepoint and/or active grid elements and storing at the ALC, ASD, ALD, ASDor combinations thereof the necessary information in granular formatsufficient to transmit for settlement or measurement and verificationprocesses later either when better transmission speeds are available orretrievable by a manual intervention such as a smart phone, tablet ordrive by apparatus where the memory is downloaded to a mobile client.

The systems, methods, and apparatus embodiments of the present inventionfurther provide for commands issued either directly by the EMS,Coordinator, ASD, ASC, ALD, ALC, load consuming device, “Smart ElectricMeter” and its subcomponents (processor/memory), or by programming anyactive grid element, for example, a client device such as a programmablethermostat or building control system, wherein the commands anticipatethe activation of a load curtailment event for any load consuming device(such as an HVAC system, a system profile that has been programmed forsupply side indices such as market price of power or Operating Reservesor load side indices that take a consumer's preferences into account, orany other sensor) or the activation of a supply or demand event for anysupply source associated with the electric power grid.

The balancing areas (BAs) provide for opportunities for the electricpower grid and/or a multiplicity of grids that are constructed andconfigured for networked communication and power distributiontherebetween. In one embodiment of the present invention, communicationwith active grid elements passes through or is routed by at least oneCoordinator for providing the one-to-many coordination of communication,messaging, etc. between the many active grid elements and the EMS,inside a given BA or between BAs, which often involves at least oneCoordinator for each BA, thereby providing for managed, coordinatedcross-communication of status, change-in-status, grid stability metrics,control messages, and combinations thereof.

The present invention systems and methods provide hereinbelow for powertrade blocks or power trading blocks (PTBs) for facilitating thecollaboration across balancing areas and regions for supply and loadcurtailment management, for increasing power available, operatingreserves, and/or grid stability. In preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, at least one PTB is introduced and/or provided to theelectric power grid, including method steps of: valuing, trading,selling, bartering, sharing, exchanging, crediting, and combinationsthereof. Thus the present invention provides for electric tradingmarkets across BAs or microgrids or individual active grid elements,including load consuming customers or supply sources, whethergeneration, storage, distribution or transmission.

Telemetry, measurement, verification, PSV, PTB, and other factorsdescribed herein, in compliance with FERC 745, 750, and 755, providewith the present invention the capacity for active grid elementsfunctioning for providing curtailment as operating reserves to becompensated for megawatts at the clearing price, and for supply to beprovided or indicated as available to be provided, and compensated orsettled for megawatts at the clearing price. Clearing prices are eitherdetermined by many attributes including their location of where thepower is delivered or accepted by a generator of power or a purchaser ofpower. The term “Locational Marginal Pricing (LMP)” refers to a nodewhere power is either delivered from a generator or accepted by apurchaser. A node corresponds to a physical bus or collection of buseswithin the network or any other geodetically defined boundary asspecified by the governing entity. A load or supply zone is defined asan aggregation of nodes. The zonal price is the load-weighted average ofthe prices of all nodes in the zone. A hub is defined as therepresentative selection of nodes to facilitate long-term commercialenergy trading. The hub price is a simple average of LMPs at all hublocations. An external or proxy node is defined as the location thatserves as a proxy for trading between ISO-Balancing area and itsneighbors. According to the present invention, the at least one gridelement(s) includes transmission or distribution control node,monitoring node, telemetry node, routing node, electrical routing node,fault protection node, generation node, load control node, devices(active and passive), sensors, etc., wherein any node includes aninterface and/or an attachment.

For vertically integrated utilities that do not have open markets asISOs, their delivery or acceptance of power occurs at the boundaries oftheir “Balancing Area”, which is defined as the geography where theirtransmission and distribution system extends and is subject to gridstability maintained by that utility. Balancing Authority boundariesalso include delivery points or (LMP) pricing points. It should be notedthat vertically integrated utilities are subject to the same FERC andNERC rules as decoupled utilities in ISOs, except in verticallyintegrated utilities, local public utility commissions have moreauthority to enforce and enhance rules since the rate base is beingcharged for improvements to the grid within the balancing area (BA) thatthe utility serves. FIG. 9 is a table illustrating three FERC orders(745, 750, 755—all issued in 2011) and their applicability to theelectric power grid load management and distributed supply addressed bythe various systems, including active grid elements and theirregistration and functionality within the system according to methodsand apparatus embodiments for present invention. The trend in the worldmarket is to inject market forces to utilities such that they mustfollow new FERC rules that permit the use of demand responsetechnologies/load curtailment technologies to promote the need for fewerlarge scale, primarily fossil fuel power plants.

Power is generally traded in terms of “Capacity”—the reserved peakamount of power that a generator agrees to reserve for the utility,market participant, or REP—and “Energy,” defined as the amount of powerconsumed by the utility, market participant, REP or any entity that isauthorized to buy, sell or distribute power for the electric power grid;consumers, particularly commercial accounts, also purchase power in thismanner. Energy is settled on the wholesale market in “MegaWatt Hours”,which is defined as one (1) million watts of electricity consumed at ametering point, or interchange of power such a LMP, transmission tiepoint between two utilities, a commercial customer large enough toconsume such an amount, a utility (generating or distributing) or amarket participant including a REP that generally purchases the powerfrom a generating utility and utilizes the distribution network tosupply its power purchased at the wholesale level and distributes itspower to end consumers/customers generally in smaller increments ofmeasurement “kilowatt hours (kWH).” These increments are important dueto the introduction of programs involving utilizing curtailmenttechnologies enabled by FERC Order 745, 750, 755 whereby utilities,market participants, REPs and CSPs aggregate their curtailment/DR and/orsupply in increments of “kW-representing a capacity figure” and “kWH”which represents avoided energy. Peak “capacity” charges are settledbased upon intervals whereby the instantaneous peak (kW/MW) determinesthe “capacity” charge.

In particular, by way of more detailed explanation, FERC issued a seriesof orders (745, 750, 750-A, 755) that have had a pronounced impact onthe injection of new technologies, particularly distributed loadresource, curtailment, demand response technologies, and distributedsupply sources, to the market to be implemented across all of the US andwith direct applicability to World markets. FERC Order 745 provides thatutilities, market participants, CSPs, REPs or any other entity thataggregates a minimum trading block of power that is able to be acceptedinto the market, BA, utility service area, or regional trading area(RTO) must be compensated for such curtailment/load resource and demandresponse technology at the clearing price at the nearest LMP as thoughit was generation; this provides that active grid elements associatedwith these supply and/or curtailment activities are able to beindividually tracked, managed, reported, and compensated based upontheir individual contribution to the aggregated settlement. Saidplainly, “Negawatts” have the same value as “Megawatts.” Controversial,particularly to those utilities that still have the antiquated practiceof rate base recovery of assets to insure profits, the conditions ofwhich these “Negawatts” are compensated as “Megawatts” place a highvalue on those curtailment/load resource/demand response technologiesthat creates utility Operating Reserves for the benefit of gridstability. Operating Reserves, previously defined, come in differentcapacity and energy products or their equivalencies in the case ofcurtailment/load resources/demand response and are compensated at thenearest LMP based upon their ability to perform to the same level ofmeasurement, verification, responsiveness (latency) and settlement asgeneration. This high standard has the practical effect of rewardingthose advanced technologies that perform as generation equivalencies(load resources), while still allowing capacity products (traditionaland advanced demand response) to also participate in the market andperform the valuable function of providing capacity and energy resourceswithout the need for transmission losses (avoided power avoidstransmission of kWH/MWH to the endpoint, therefore freeing uptransmission and distribution lines to carry power elsewhere where it isneeded). It should be noted that most utilities do not have accuratemeasurements of distribution losses below their electrical bus(substation levels) and as such high performance, IP-based active gridelements and corresponding service points that allow this information tobe brought forward to the utility operations promote the OperatingReserves and “Negawatts” and add to their value.

The following related US patents and patent applications, U.S.application Ser. No. 13/172,389, filed Jun. 29, 2011, which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/715,195, filed Mar. 1,2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,032,233, which is a divisional of U.S.application Ser. No. 11/895,909 filed Aug. 28, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No.7,715,951, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Thesedocuments include descriptions of some active load management withinpower grids, and provide additional background and context for thepresent invention systems and methods.

Also, in this document, relational terms, such as “first” and “second,”“top” and “bottom,” and the like, are used solely to distinguish oneentity or element from another entity or element without necessarilyrequiring or implying any physical or logical relationship or orderbetween such entities or elements. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,”or any other variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusiveinclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus thatcomprises a list of elements does not include only those elements, butis also able to include other elements not expressly listed or inherentto such process, method, article, or apparatus. The term “plurality of”as used in connection with any object or action means two or more ofsuch object or action. A claim element proceeded by the article “a” or“an” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence ofadditional identical elements in the process, method, article, orapparatus that includes the element.

By way of definition and description supporting the claimed subjectmatter, preferably, the present invention includes communicationmethodologies for messaging via a communication layer. IP-basedcommunications over a network are most preferred.

Correspondingly, and consistent with the communication methodologies formessaging according to the present invention, as used throughout thisspecification, figures and claims, the term ZIGBEE refers to anywireless communication protocol adopted by the Institute of Electronics& Electrical Engineers (IEEE) according to standard 802.15.4 or anysuccessor standard(s), the term WIFI refers to any communicationprotocol adopted by the IEEE under standard 802.11 or any successorstandard(s), the term WIMAX refers to any communication protocol adoptedby the IEEE under standard 802.16 or any successor standard(s), and theterm BLUETOOTH refers to any short-range communication protocolimplementing IEEE standard 802.15.1 or any successor standard(s).Additionally or alternatively to WIMAX, other communications protocolsare able to be used, including but not limited to a “1G” wirelessprotocol such as analog wireless transmission, first generationstandards based (IEEE, ITU or other recognized world communicationsstandard), a “2G” standards based protocol such as “EDGE” or “CDMA 2000”also known as “1XRTT”, a 3G based standard such as “High Speed PacketAccess (HSPA) or Evolution for Data Only (EVDO), any accepted 4Gstandard such as IEEE, ITU standards that include WIMAX, Long TermEvolution “LTE” and its derivative standards, any Ethernet solutionwireless or wired, or any proprietary wireless or power line carrierstandards that communicate to a client device or any controllable devicethat sends and receives an IP-based message. The term “High Speed PacketData Access (HSPA)” refers to any communication protocol adopted by theInternational Telecommunication Union (ITU) or another mobiletelecommunications standards body referring to the evolution of theGlobal System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard beyond its thirdgeneration Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) protocols.The term “Long Term Evolution (LTE)” refers to any communicationprotocol adopted by the ITU or another mobile telecommunicationsstandards body referring to the evolution of GSM-based networks tovoice, video and data standards anticipated to be replacement protocolsfor HSPA. The term “Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) EvolutionDate-Optimized (EVDO) Revision A (CDMA EVDO Rev. A)” refers to thecommunication protocol adopted by the ITU under standard number TIA-856Rev. A.

It will be appreciated that embodiments of the invention describedherein are comprised of one or more conventional processors and uniquestored program instructions that control the one or more processors toimplement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some,most, or all of the functions for managing power load distribution andtracking individual subscriber power consumption and savings in one ormore power load management systems as described herein. Thenon-processor circuits include, but are not limited to, radio receivers,radio transmitters, antennas, modems, signal drivers, clock circuits,power source circuits, relays, meters, smart breakers, current sensors,and user input devices. As such, these functions are interpreted assteps of a method to distribute information and control signals betweendevices in a power load management system. Alternatively, some or allfunctions could be implemented by a state machine that has no storedprogram instructions, or in one or more application specific integratedcircuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations offunctions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination ofthe two approaches could be used. Thus, methods and means for thesefunctions have been described herein. Further, it is expected that oneof ordinary skill in the art, notwithstanding possibly significanteffort and many design choices motivated by, for example, availabletime, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided bythe concepts and principles disclosed herein, will be readily capable ofgenerating such software instructions, programs and integrated circuits(ICs), and appropriately arranging and functionally integrating suchnon-processor circuits, without undue experimentation.

Recently, the IEEE and ITU have released improved WIMAX and Long TermEvolution wireless standards that have facilitated the consideration ofnew technologies to improve the response and control of power loadcontrol devices employing smart breaker and smart disconnect switchesthat include advanced smart meters where IP multimedia gateways areembedded or attach as separate connected printed circuit boards, andsubmetering technologies that possess sufficient “revenue grade”metrology such that the measurements provided by these devices are ableto be accepted for settlement purposes. The term “revenue grade” is anindustry term, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in theart, a percentage of accuracy determined by ANSI, which means that powermeasurement must be within ½% of the actual value being consumed. Thus,calibration standards are provided accordingly to OEMs of powermeasuring devices and/or chips. In embodiments of the systems andmethods of the present invention, these calibration standards are metvia components, including a chipset and related software, and thetransmittal of the power measurement information via IP-basedcommunications as set forth hereinabove. Baselining techniques thatprovide a reference power usage point, sampling techniques that allowfor verification of the power “state” and power consumption data forelectricity consuming devices (inductive or resistive), reactive power,Power Factor, start-up current, duty cycles, voltage, consumptionforecasts and most importantly real-time or near real-time powermeasurement sampling, etc., are required to derive a Power Supply Value(PSV) that includes an American National Standards Institute (ANSI),ISO, grid operator, governing body revenue measurement, etc., which ispreferably aggregated to reach the size of at least a single Power TradeBlock (PTB) unit for the purposes of optimally monetizing the activeload management from the customer perspective. PTBs are dependent on agrid operator, regional transmission operator, or independent systemoperator to determine the capacity size (in kW or MW) or energy data in(kWH or MWH) that is able to be accepted for bidding, trading,settlement by the utility, the end consumer/customer, the marketparticipant, the CSP, demand response aggregator or any entityauthorized by the government entity that regulates grid operators suchas FERC, NERC etc. Generally due to measurement, verification,transmission and/or distribution modeling (which considers the impact tothe grid from the curtailment activities at any geodetic location on thegrid, but generally modeled by electrical bus or substation), theminimum acceptable PBT is 100 kW at the time of the present invention.This limitation is not expected to be permanent, given theseadvancements in measurement/verification, the near real time or realtime IP/Ethernet based telemetry capabilities presented by a pluralityof various communications methods as discussed in this embodiment andthe advancements in service oriented architecture based (SOA) softwareand hardware subsystems, when combined with an ALD and ALC that performsat a sublevel such that the minimum PTB is determined at the device,home, building, service point, commercial, industrial, transformer,feeder, substation, transmission line and any sub-point along thetransmission and distribution feeder system of an electrical grid as solong as minimum telemetry, measurement, verifications, validation aremet and are capable of being aggregated to a minimum PTB acceptable tothe grid operator, ISO, RTO, BA or any other increment of gridtopography used now or in the future for settling power block incrementsby sub-PTB.

Embodiments of the present invention expand upon and enhance priortechnologies by, among other things, employing WIMAX, High Speed PacketAccess (HSPA), Evolution for Data Only (EVDO), both considered 3^(rd)generation wireless standards, Long Term Evolution (LTE), considered atthe time of the invention as a “4G” standard and its derivativestandards that are most assuredly to be introduced during the life ofthis invention, IEEE 802.11 (X) also known as WIFI and its derivativestandards inclusive of “Multiple Input Multiple Output” (MIMO), as setforth in the communication methodologies hereinabove, a plurality ofproprietary mesh and point to point communications solutions or anyInternet Protocol (IP)-based load control in a system with the abilityto monitor and measure, in real time or in sufficient time increments tosatisfy the telemetry performance standards as established by theGovernment or governing bodies (e.g., National Electric ReliabilityCorporation (NERC), Federal Energy Reliability Commission (FERC)) theamount of power deferred, conserved or removed (or carbon, SO₂, or NO₂eliminated), such as, by way of example, the Kyoto or CopenhagenProtocols that set up carbon credits. These improvements allow newoptions for electric utilities or any market participant to defer orinvest in new power generation that is friendlier to the environment.

The present invention provides the ability to project lost revenues, andprovide actual data to support the projections, without disadvantagingthe consumer, especially residential consumers of electric power fromthe grid, for example in the case of utility wherein the customer ischarged any fees associated with the inefficiency of the network, evenwhere those inefficiencies are due to the lack of maintenance orupgrades to the system, or to natural disasters, or the inability tomaintain frequency or voltage or grid stability in accordance withrequirements of FERC, NERC, etc. The utility was not assessed a NERCfinancial penalty for its failure to assure and maintain grid stabilityand operations. The prior art smart meter infrastructure with 15-minuteinterval data daily cannot settle or transmit the information tocalculate the capacities in the transmission distribution system, thefaults in the system, or the faults of the generation system, becausethe smart meter infrastructure provides past data only for modeling,rather than dynamic modeling, as with the present invention, wherein thedynamic modeling provides real-time results to maximize the efficienciesof the system while providing consumers control over consumption bybeing able to buy, sell, trade, exchange, barter, and combinations, withreal-time or near real-time data. So instead of waiting 15 minutes forthe next KWP, the consumer “checks-out” immediately and tracks spending,just like with consumer products for tracking any other expenditures,automated check outs, payments, and statement reviews, as in onlinebanking.

The present invention provides for mobile devices used for updating thePSV, meters, etc., which are also used by consumers and businesses forreal-time review of financial information on their respective accounts,and for making changes to profiles, settings, and preferences.

Pass-through individual coordinators, or linked coordinators, which areconnected and feed into one or more databases, preferably consider allattributes for curtailment, supply, profiles, price, etc., andcombinations thereof for the grid elements that communicate with thecoordinators. TDSP subsystems provides for master SCADA information,market (ISO or vertically integrated) information, that are communicatedwith the EMS. Preferably, all systems are linked together with SOA, witha communications network for sharing data, information, etc., preferablyEthernet, according to the present invention. The ISO and TDSP producethe information for the market, which is communicated via network to thecoordinator(s). The EMS has ICCP associated with the bus; and the ISOprovides for grid stability, pricing, etc. The TDSP provides for gridhealth, losses (reported at the electrical bus). The present inventionfurther provides for resource settlement nodes associated with the gridresource nodes, where the generators or supply sources connect to theelectrical power grid. The present invention provides for financialsettlement generating transactions at any grid element attachment point,as well as, and including the resource settlement nodes. ALD, ASD,and/or coordinator(s) communicate with the grid elements associated withsupply or generation for the grid, and are all connected, both inelectric power grid transmission and communication network connection,to a resource node. Grid elements further include (but are not limitedto) transmission, transformers, end points, smart meters, attachmentpoints, and combinations. Preferably, all grid elements have geodeticreferences associated with them. The transaction for financialsettlement for grid elements occurs at the supplier and/or consumerpoints of connection to the grid. Settlement at the grid elements, inany location associated with grid element participation in the grid, isprovided by the present invention.

Outside the electrical bus or substation within the electric power grid,the financial transaction subsystem provides information between thesubsystems and from the electrical bus to the market. Since the presentinvention's settlement processor provides for clearing of financialsettlement data at or less than 15 minute increments, at 15 minuteintervals or increments, with better and more accurate data than withany prior art systems, customers (or owners of the grid elementsparticipating in the electric power grid) clear the market with the bestprice for power supplied to the grid and also pay less for energyconsumed (demand) from the grid supply. This occurs becauseinefficiencies are factored out or reduced in terms of allocation tothose grid elements, control generation, control usage/consumption, makeinformed decisions about participation, or based upon profiles,automatically participate. All information automatically clears andsettles, i.e., the systems and methods of the present inventionautomatically provide a financial settlement for each active gridelement for its participation in the electric power grid, to the gridelement owner, with communications through the coordinator and withsettlement through the settlement processor as described herein andillustrated in FIG. 1 .

By way of contrast to the prior art, wherein inefficiencies are spreadamongst all participants (e.g., the leaks out of the lakes and pipes),whether they are consuming or supplying, the present invention systemsand methods provide for each of the grid elements that are registeredand participating within the financial settlement system to haveimproved accuracy of data relating to such participation, therebyreducing or eliminating the inefficiency “spread” losses that areassociated with those grid elements under the state of the artdistribution. Thus, the present invention provides solutions for thelongstanding, unmet needs of participating grid element owners to supplyempirical data relating to their participation that directly evidencesthe specific losses, if any, that are directly related to theirparticipation. Improved modeling based upon data provided for less than15 minute intervals is provided, and eventually, modeling is eliminateddue to the supply of real-time data for actual participation, ratherthan assumptions associated with modeling, as exists in the prior art.So then the inefficiencies are accurately associated with the losspoints and grid elements that function inefficiently, rather thanassuming distribution on a pro-rata basis to all participating gridelements. Notably, even nonparticipating grid elements are assessed forlosses and inefficiencies if they are registered with the grid (e.g.,power consuming customers are assessed a general charge even if they donot consumer power during a predetermined billing period, which isgenerally at 30-day intervals).

Manual settlement using spreadsheets is still used today; however, evenin the case of manual settlement, the present invention provides forimproved accuracy and timeliness of the financial settlement of theparticipation of the grid element.

Settlement for consumers of electric power of the grid is consideredwithin the scope of the present invention. Rate plans include trackingconsumption patterns and profiles. Customizable plans are developed on aper-market-consumer basis under the present invention systems andmethods. So then grid elements participating in the systems and methodsaccording to the present invention include electric power consumershaving at least one power consuming device, and at least one registeredaccount associated with a geodetic location of the at least one powerconsuming device.

The present invention further provides for aggregation of financialsettlement by power consuming devices for a single consumer. Also andalternatively, classes of customers are grouped by “buckets” ofconsumption that maximize the ability of consumers to afford the plansthey want and for utilities and/or grid operators to predict and managethe power supplied over the grid to consumers. By way of comparison,real-time settlements and customizable plans for electric powerconsumption for registered grid elements (and correspondingly, theirowners) are provided similar to mobile telephone rate plans customizedor grouped for consumers having similar patterns, profiles, and/orgeographic locations.

By way of example, based upon the power supplied, the reduction inconsumed power (curtailment as supply) and/or the consumption of power,the systems and methods of the present invention provide for generatingat the coordinator a power supply value (PSV) corresponding thereto bythe active grid elements associated with their participation in thegrid. Importantly, the PSV is an actual value that includes measurementand verification of the reduction in consumed power; such measurementand verification methods are often determined by the appropriategoverning body or authority for the electric power grid(s). Power SupplyValue (PSV) is calculated at the meter or submeter, building controlsystem, or any active grid element that measures power supplied orconsumed within the standard as supplied by the regulatory body(ies)that govern the regulation of the grid. PSV variations frequently dependon operating tolerances, including operating standards for accuracy ofthe measurement. The PSV enables transformation of curtailment orreduction in power, power supplied, and/or power consumed at the activegrid element level by any system that sends or receives an IP message tobe related to or equated to supply as presented to the governing entitythat accepts these values and awards supply equivalence (e.g., forexample of a power generating entity or an entity allowed to controlactive grid elements and their participation on the electric power gridsuch as power consuming devices as permitted by the governing body ofthe electric power grid, e.g., FERC, NERC, etc.).

PSV associated with active grid elements and their participation withinthe electric power grid is provided in units of electrical power flow,monetary equivalent, and/or combinations thereof. Thus, the PSV providesan actual value that is confirmed by measurement and/or verification,thereby providing for supply and/or curtailment value(s) as arequirement for providing supply to the power grid, wherein the supplyto the power electric power grid is provided for grid stability, voltagestability, reliability, and combinations thereof, and is furtherprovided as responsive to an energy management system or equivalent forproviding grid stability, reliability, frequency as determined bygoverning authority for the electric power grid and/or grid operator(s).

Energy consumption and/or supply patterns associated with active gridelements and their participation on the electric power grid are subjectto analysis that is used for a variety of different types of activities.For example, based on the energy consumption patterns created from thisdata, the Coordinator will derive performance curves and/or datamatrices for each service point to which the active grid elements areattached and determine the amount of energy reduction that is able to berealized from each active grid element and its functionality within theelectric power grid. The Coordinator(s) create a list of service pointsassociated with the active grid elements and their participation on theelectric power grid through which energy consumption is able to bereduced via demand side management, interruptible load, orspinning/regulation reserves. This information is able to be manipulatedby the Coordinator and/or ALD processes to create a prioritized,rotational order of control, called “intelligent load rotation” which isdescribed in detail below. This rotational shifting of the burden of theinterruptible load has the practical effect of reducing and flatteningthe utility load curve while allowing the serving utility to effectivelygroup its customers within the ALD or its own databases by energyefficiency.

Generally, the embodiments described encompass a closed loop system andmethod for creating a profile, calculating and deriving patterns ofenergy usage and/or supply, and making use of those patterns whenimplemented through the machinery of a system comprised of active gridelements combined with the physical communications link and when theseinputs are manipulated through a computer, processor, memory, routersand other necessary machines as those who are skilled in the art expectsto be utilized.

The present invention also considers the concept of “drift” as appliedto electric power grids and active grid elements associated therewith.The data gathered for the active grid element profile is used toempirically derive the decay rate or drift, temperature slope, or adynamic equation (f{x}) whereby the service point (or device) will havea uniquely derived “fingerprint” or energy usage pattern for individualand/or aggregated active grid element(s).

The embodiments disclosed also make use of the “intelligent energyrotation” concept. Intelligent energy rotation uses machine intelligenceto ensure that the same active grid elements are not always selected forenergy control events, but distributes energy supply or load controlevents over a service area in some equitable way and/or least costanalysis-applied manner, or other analytical approach for optimizing theelectric power grid resources and functions of the associated activegrid elements registered for automated intercommunication therewith.

In another embodiment, energy consumption patterns in active gridelements profiles are used to identify active grid elements that are thebest targets for excess power sharing. This occurs when renewable energysuch as solar or wind is added to the grid, resulting in power thatcannot be compensated for by the grid. This could occur, for example, onvery windy days. When this happens, utilities or market participant,grid operator, EMS, or equivalent are faced with the problem of what todo with the excess energy. Instead of cutting power to service points inorder to affect power savings, a utility, market participant, gridoperator, EMS, or equivalent could add energy to service points andthrough active grid elements associated with those services points inorder to effect power dissipation. The service points and/or active gridelements selected by the Coordinator are often different (or even theinverse) of those selected for power savings. The devices at theseservice points are turned on if they were off or set points forclimate-controlled devices are adjusted to heat or cool more thannormal. Spread out over many control points, this provides the energydissipation needed.

In a further embodiment, energy consumption patterns within active gridelements profiles could be used to identify opportunities for upselling, down selling, or cross selling. These opportunities aredetermined by the power utility or by its partners. Data from activegrid elements profiles and their participation on the electric powergrid is used to provide insights on inefficient devices, defectivedevices, or devices that require updating to meet current standards.Active grid elements profiles data, and/or data associated with theirparticipation on the electric power grid, individually or collectively(or selectively) in the aggregate, is also able to be used to identifyrelated power grid participation opportunities.

According to the present invention, PSV for any of the active gridelements and their participation on or within the electric power grid isgenerated by methods including information relating to baselininghistorical load, also known as the customer baseline (CBL), estimatingbased upon curves, real-time or near-real-time value, and combinationsthereof.

Advantageously, the present invention provides active load and/or supplymanagement metrics for each of the active grid elements, including PSV,much better than merely a statistical estimate for a command as withprior art; PSV also further provides for steps of measurement andsettlement, according to the present invention. FERC requires that thesettlement credits are provided at point where settlement occurs;settlement information follows the transaction, most preferably,according to the present invention, occurring in real time or near realtime, as in financial transactions or other commodity transactions, suchas for natural gas supply. Also, preferably, there is a defined intervalthat is accepted or acceptable by the governing entity for the electricpower grid, wherein each transaction is recorded as it occurs.Furthermore, the present invention provides for IP real-timecommunications that provide for settlement of the curtailment byload-consuming devices at or approximate to the time of the transaction,i.e., the curtailment. Also, preferably, there is participation data forthe grid elements that provides supporting evidence attached with the IPreal-time communication of the acceptance of the power event, and thenautomatically recorded in a settlement database and associated with eachactive grid elements registered within the system through theCoordinator(s), and participation on the electric power grid by the gridelements that are registered with the system. Also, some informationrelated to this transaction and its settlement is transmitted to theenergy supplier and/or energy/curtailment purchaser, permitting theseller to be paid according to the PSV and/or PTB related to the powerevent, e.g., curtailment or supply event(s).

Power Trading Blocks (PTBs) are dependent upon the grid operator or ISO;there must be enough curtailment or supply for the grid operator toaccept, settle, and monetize, including individual and/or collective orselectively aggregated data for active grid elements registered with thesystem and their participation on or within the electric power grid. Atthis time, the PTB is 100 KW in most electric power grids, including aconventional utility, independent system operator, grid, or microgridoperator. Generally, the power available as operating reserves is tradedin larger amounts, PTB size, to be significant enough to beneficiallystabilize the grid and its operating reserves. At this time, theregional trading organization or geographic-specific grid andcorresponding regulations therefor, determine the PTB size, whichtypically requires the aggregation of load from a multiplicity ofconsumers, residential or commercial, to reach a minimum PTB size or PTBunit. The PTB unit, combined with the PSV, and the real-time securecommunications used with ALC/ALD function to lower the size of theminimum PTB required to form a PTB unit for grid reception andsettlement purposes. The commercial impact determines the minimum PTBsize, which corresponds to a PTB unit, due to cost and timing ofcommunication of the information related to the curtailment event(s) andresponse by the device(s), and how aggregation of load curtailment bythe multiplicity of devices is managed to ensure maximum compensation tothe customer(s) associated with the device(s) for the curtailment event,with minimum negative physical impact to those consumers and/or devicesfrom the curtailment event.

Active grid element profiles and their participation on the electricpower grid are also able to be dynamic, and settlement processingassociated with those grid elements includes consideration of thoseprofiles, in addition to the data from participation of the gridelements for supply and/or curtailment, and for energy consumption aswell. An example of this is the ability for active grid elements or gridelements and their participation within the electric power grid toutilize real time communications from an electric utility grid, market,market participant, utility, REP, CSP or any other entity authorized onbehalf of the owner to act on their behalf to control load consumingdevices owned by the consumer and connected to the electric utilitygrid. Preferably, the active grid elements receive this informationautomatically through a plurality of methods utilizing IP-basedcommunications methods and web based devices such as smart phones,computers, text messages, paging messages, or even voice response unitsor live customer service agents. Under this real time scenario, activegrid elements could dynamically “Opt In” to a pre-determined profile,“Opt Out,” or, more importantly, change the profile dynamically to takeadvantage of real time market pricing of electricity being sold by theutility, market participant, REP or any entity authorized to buy, selland trade electric commodity or demand response products on behalf ofthe owner.

The present invention has adequately described in great detail how theactive grid elements and their participation on the electric power gridare associated with the Coordinator and the employment of computerassisted apparatus that include, but are not limited to processors,ASICS, memory, analytics, communications interfaces and methodologies,databases, both relational, high performance “historian” databases,persistence and cache layers, metadata layers, analytics engines,monitoring and reporting active grid elements, Internet Protocol,Ethernet, carrier grade wired and wireless networks, proprietarynetworks, TDM wireless and wired networks, analog and digital telemetrysubsystems, Coordinators, Active Supply Directors and a plurality of theabove both centralized, networked together and distributed. While theprevious descriptions have been detailed in the embodiment of a FERC 745load acting as supply, one skilled in the art will correlate thosefunctions previously described as they apply to the supply side for FERC750 and 755, including settlement.

These highly decentralized networks must be capable of operatingdirectly under the control of an EMS/DMS/GMS or similar controlsolution, through a Coordinator, and for active grid elementsautonomously if they are disconnected from the macro electric grid orhave voluntarily opted to disconnect themselves from the electric gridtemporarily or permanently. The present invention provides throughsoftware, hardware and advanced communications methodologies thecapabilities of many small Distributed Electric Resources (DER)associated with the active grid elements to perform and deliver theirenergy resource directly to the electric grid interconnected as if theywere a macro resource with aggregated PSV values that build up tominimum PTB blocks that are able to be both presented, operated andmonetized by a Market Participant, REP, Utility, IPP, a Company actingas their own energy agent or a plurality of all of the above.

The present invention also provides for intermittent resourcespreviously described, and the ability of the grid elements providingsupply to the grid to be balanced, regulated and offered to the grid asreliably as DER. Balancing DER suggests that a plurality of theseresources are co-located at the same service point/attachment or arethemselves disaggregated from each other physically, but interconnectedvia the present invention and its attributes. An embodiment of this typeof DER is a commercial building that has installed solar film, panels orcombinations thereof, a wind or water turbine, and a back-up generatorat the same installation. These different resources with their differentDER attributes must all be combined through an ASC that have thecapability of providing for primary frequency control per supply source,voltage control, and meet the appropriate attachment regulations thatare often different based upon the location of the DER supply on thedistribution or transmission system and operating those systems eitherthrough a coordinator and an EMS or autonomously from both while stilloffering its supply to the interconnected electric grid. The presentinvention functions to communicate and control the DER based uponavailability of the resource, what the grid's energy needs are at themoment of the energy being presented by or through a Market Participantor, if permitted by the governing entity, an individual consumerutilizing the present invention or the economic incentives that areprofile-based, sold in advance through an approved trading organizationapproved by the governing entity, or supplied in real time at theattachment point on the grid and supplied through the present inventionas directed by an Energy Management System or providing those EMSservices due to an EMS not being available at the time the resource isdelivered and whereby the apparatus of the present invention isproviding energy and grid stabilizing resources from the availablesources, balanced upon what each resource is able to provide reliably tothe interconnection of the electric grid.

Other embodiments of DER used with the present invention includecommunication facilities such as wireless communications towers owned bycarriers, tower leasing companies such as American Tower, Crown CastleInc. SBA Inc etc., whereby standby generation, batteries, solar, wind orother forms of backup generation including fuel cells are present toinsure reliability. Wireline facilities, such as data centers, centraloffices, retail stores, hospitals, fabrication facilities, manufacturingfacilities, service facilities, emergency management facilities,television facilities, cable facilities, utility facilities, and othercritical infrastructure, are all examples of micro and macrogridinterconnections whereby latent standby generation and DER is alreadypresent and whereby the use of the described invention is used tointerconnect these DER to the electric power grid as active powerdevices.

Transmission and distribution companies are used to estimate losses,power flow, and power loss models. Modeling is usually provided by theTDSP/utility; they measure information within the grid so that they areable to estimate transmission losses. Transmission and distribution lossmodeling are used in each substation, feeder, and electrical bus toapproximate losses between the transmission and distribution device andend point where the load is being served. These models are also usedwhen empirical data is available; they are industry-accepted practicesthat provide a level of engineering safety and capacity factors whichare widely accepted practices. Instead of relying solely on modeling,the empirical data is used to correct the models. All models havecoefficients of loss that are able to be improved; the modeling isimproved for all the data provided. Transmission loss models areconsidered for frequency, distance, size of cable, etc., andcombinations thereof.

Generation losses are also a function of the efficiency of transfer,transformers, resource nodes, etc., and combinations thereof. Thetransmission cable age, insulation type, capacitance and reactive powerelements, material age and type, degradation, bending radius, etc., andcombinations thereof are all factors used in modeling and will alsoaffect the actual empirical measurements or data. Empirical data ischaracterizing the distribution environment so that the modeling is moreaccurate. Self-correcting algorithms are employed in the model, whichconsider the empirical data relating to the distribution environment,including but not limited to temperature, humidity, physical environmentfactors (e.g., connector/connection, etc.), and combinations.

Timing for EMS is set by the governing body for frequency response,reserves, etc. The telemetry is set by industry practice and governingbody(ies) (including NERC, FERC, etc., in USA), and often vary bygeographic location, country, etc. By way of example, European countriestransmit 3-phase power to all endpoints and service attachment points,including small residential and commercial accounts, and operate at 50Hz standards (by way of contrast and comparison, the USA operates at 60Hz standards).

Ability to project lost revenues without disadvantaging the consumer andmaking whole transmission and distribution companies, especiallyresidential consumers of electric power from the grid, for example inthe case of utility wherein the customer is charged any fees associatedwith the inefficiency of the network, even where those inefficienciesare due to the lack of maintenance or upgrades to the system, or tonatural disasters, or the inability to maintain frequency or voltage orgrid stability in accordance with requirements of FERC, NERC, etc. Theutility was not assessed a NERC financial penalty for its failure toassure and maintain grid stability and operations. The prior art smartmeter infrastructure that has a 15-minute interval (or greater) datadaily cannot settle or transmit the information to calculate thecapacities or losses in the transmission or distribution system, or thefaults in the system, or faults of the generation system, because theyprovide past data only for modeling, rather than dynamic modeling, aswith the present invention. The present invention provides modeling aswell as real-time results to maximize the efficiencies of the systemwhile providing consumers control over consumption by being able to buy,sell, trade, exchange, barter, and combinations, with real-time or nearreal-time data. So instead of waiting 15 minutes for the next KWP, thepresent invention allows for near real-time settlement at less than 15minute intervals, including the electronic financial settlementtherefor, so that the consumer or supplier for the grid (providedthrough at least one active grid element) “checks-out” immediately andtracks spending, just like with consumer products for tracking any otherexpenditures, and automated check outs, payments, and statement reviews,as in online banking.

The present invention provides for mobile devices used for updating PSV,meter, etc., which are also used by consumers and businesses forreal-time review of financial information on their respective accounts,make changes to profiles, settings, and preferences.

Pass-through individual coordinators, or linked coordinators, which areconnected and feed into one or more databases, preferably consider allattributes for curtailment, supply, profiles, price, etc., andcombinations thereof for the grid elements that communicate with thecoordinators. TDSP subsystems provides for master SCADA information,market (ISO or vertically integrated) information, that are communicatedwith the EMS. Preferably, all systems are linked together with SOA, witha communications network for sharing data, information, etc., preferablyEthernet, according to the present invention. The ISO and TDSP producethe information for the market, which is communicated via network to thecoordinator(s). The EMS has ICCP associated with the bus; the ISOprovides for grid stability, pricing, etc. The TDSP provides for gridhealth, losses (reported at the electrical bus). The present inventionfurther provides for resource settlement nodes associated with the gridresource nodes, where the generators or supply sources connect to theelectrical power grid. The present invention provides for financialsettlement generating transactions at any grid element attachment point,as well as, and including the resource settlement nodes. ALD, ASD,and/or coordinator(s) communicate with the grid elements associated withsupply or generation for the grid, and all are connected, both inelectric power grid transmission and communication network connection,to a resource node. Grid elements further include (but are not limitedto) transmission, transformers, end points, smart meters, attachmentpoints, and combinations. Preferably, all grid elements have geodeticreferences associated with them. The transaction for financialsettlement for grid elements occurs at the supplier and/or consumerpoints of connection to the grid. Settlement at the grid elements, inany location associated with grid element participation in the grid, isprovided by the present invention.

Outside the electrical bus or substation within the electric power grid,the financial transaction subsystem provides information between thesubsystems and from the electrical bus to the market. Since the presentinvention's settlement processor provides for clearing of financialsettlement data at or less than 15 minute increments, at 15 minuteintervals or increments, with better and more accurate data than withany prior art systems, customers (or owners of the grid elementsparticipating in the electric power grid) clear the market with a betterprice for power supplied to the grid and also pay less for energyconsumed (demand) from the grid supply. This occurs becauseinefficiencies are factored out or reduced in terms of allocation tothose grid elements, control generation, control usage/consumption, makeinformed decisions about participation, or based upon profiles,automatically participate. All information automatically clears andsettles, i.e., the systems and methods of the present inventionautomatically provide a financial settlement for each active gridelement for its participation in the electric power grid, to the gridelement owner, with communications through the coordinator and withsettlement through the settlement processor as described herein andillustrated in FIG. 1 .

By way of contrast to the prior art, wherein inefficiencies are spreadamongst all participants (e.g., the leaks out of the lakes and pipes),whether they are consuming or supplying, the present invention systemsand methods provide for each of the grid elements that are registeredand participating within the financial settlement system to haveimproved accuracy of data relating to the participation, therebyreducing or eliminating the inefficiency “spread” losses are associatedwith those grid elements under the state of the art distribution. Thusthe present invention provides solution for the longstanding, unmetneeds for participating grid element owners to supply empirical datarelating to their participation that directly evidences the specificlosses, if any, that are directly related to their participation.Improved modeling based upon data provided for less than 15 minuteintervals is provided, and eventually, modeling is eliminated due to thesupply of real-time data for actual participation, rather thanassumptions associated with modeling, as exists in the prior art. Sothen the inefficiencies are accurately associated with the loss pointsand grid elements that function inefficiently, rather than assumingdistribution on a pro-rata basis to all participating grid elements.Notably, even nonparticipating grid elements are assessed for losses andinefficiencies if they are registered with the grid (e.g., powerconsuming customers are assessed a general charge even if they do notconsumer power during a predetermined billing period, which is generallyat 30-day intervals).

Manual settlement using spreadsheets is still used today; however, evenin the case of manual settlement, the present invention provides forimproved accuracy and timeliness of the financial settlement of theparticipation of the grid element.

Settlement for consumers of electric power of the grid is consideredwithin the scope of the present invention. Rate plans include trackingconsumption patterns and profiles. Customizable plans are developed on aper-market-consumer basis under the present invention systems andmethods. Thus, grid elements participating in the systems and methodsaccording to the present invention include electric power consumershaving at least one power consuming device, and at least one registeredaccount associated with a geodetic location of the at least onepower-consuming device.

Aggregation of settlement by power consuming devices for a singleconsumer is also provided according to the systems and methods of thepresent invention. Also and alternatively, classes of customers aregrouped by consumption to provide an aggregated KWP by PTB unit(s) thatmaximize the ability of the consumers to afford the plans they want, andfor utilities and/or grid operators to predict and to manage the powersupplied over the grid to consumers. By way of comparison, real-timesettlements and customizable plans for electric power consumption forregistered grid elements (and correspondingly, their owners) areprovided similar to mobile telephone rate plans customized or groupedfor consumers having similar patterns, profiles, and/or geographiclocations.

It should be noted that many terms and acronyms are used in thisdescription that are well-defined in the telecommunications and/orcomputer networking industries and are well understood by personsskilled in these arts, and in electric power management arts. Completedescriptions of these terms and acronyms, whether defining atelecommunications standard or protocol, are found in readily availabletelecommunications standards and literature and are not described inmore detail herein.

It will be appreciated that embodiments or components of the systemsdescribed herein are comprised of one or more conventional processorsand unique stored program instructions that control the one or moreprocessors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processorcircuits, some, most, or all of the functions for managing power loadand/or supply distribution, and tracking and controlling individualsubscriber power consumption and savings, and power supply in one ormore power load and/or supply management systems. The non-processorcircuits include, but are not limited to, radio receivers, radiotransmitters, antennas, modems, signal drivers, clock circuits, powersource circuits, relays, meters, sub-meters, smart breakers, currentsensors, and customer input devices. As such, these functions are ableto be interpreted as steps of a method to distribute information andcontrol signals between devices in a power load and/or supply managementsystem. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by astate machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or moreapplication specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each functionor some combinations of functions are implemented as custom logic. Ofcourse, a combination of the two approaches could be used. Thus, methodsand means for these functions have been described herein. Further, it isexpected that one of ordinary skill in the art, notwithstanding possiblysignificant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example,available time, current technology, and economic considerations, whenguided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein, will be readilycapable of generating such software instructions, programs andintegrated circuits (ICs), and appropriately arranging and functionallyintegrating such non-processor circuits, without undue experimentation.

Additionally, measurement, verification, and settlement for the PSV forthose market participants involved in the power management of the systemis further included in the application of the present invention. Also,the systems, methods, and apparatus of the present invention furtherinclude a database, a processor, software operable thereon, andinterfaces to outside market participants that provide for capacityreservation of the distribution and transmission systems.

In embodiments of the present invention, supply and/or load curtailmentas supply active grid elements further include additional components tofacilitate their automatic registration with the systems, methods, andapparatus of the present invention. Furthermore, messaging forregistration between these active grid elements and the Coordinatorand/or ASD further includes an initial messaging for the firstregistration communication that provides information necessary foractivation, operation, and integration with the electric power grid,including all future messaging, prioritization, profiles, updates,upgrades, modifications, settlement, security, and combinations thereof.The Coordinator, following the initial messaging from the active gridelements, optionally provides an “energy cookie” that functions tofacilitate the activities of the Coordinator for management, control,messaging, and matching to maintain and balance the EMS requirementswith those of the electric power grid and all of the registered gridelements that are transformed into active grid elements thereon.

In the foregoing specification, the present invention has been describedwith reference to specific embodiments. However, one of ordinary skillin the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes areable to be made without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, thepresent invention is applicable for managing the distribution of powerfrom utility companies to subscribing customers using any number ofIP-based or other communication methods. Additionally, the functions ofspecific modules within the server and/or active grid elements are ableto be performed by one or more equivalent means. Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to beincluded within the scope of the present invention.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have beendescribed above with regard to specific embodiments of the presentinvention. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, andany active grid elements that cause or result in such benefits,advantages, or solutions to become more pronounced are not to beconstrued as a critical, required, or essential feature or element ofany or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appendedclaims including any amendments made during the pendency of thisapplication and all equivalents of those claims as issued.

Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled inthe art upon a reading of the foregoing description. The above-mentionedexamples are provided to serve the purpose of clarifying the aspects ofthe invention and it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatthey do not serve to limit the scope of the invention. All modificationsand improvements have been deleted herein for the sake of concisenessand readability but are properly within the scope of the presentinvention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for market-based financial settlement of transactions within an electric power grid network comprising: a settlement processor; and at least one coordinator; wherein the settlement processor comprises a server and/or a processor operatively coupled with a memory, and a database constructed and configured for communication via a network with the at least one coordinator; wherein the at least one coordinator is constructed and configured for electrical connection and network communication with at least one grid element; wherein the at least one grid element generates at least one unit containing information for a market-based financial settlement, including measured data transformed by the at least one grid element into settlement grade data for market financial settlement corresponding to participation of each of the at least one grid element in the electric power grid network for load, supply, or curtailment as supply; wherein a settlement message is transmitted via the network from the at least one grid element to the settlement processor and/or the at least one coordinator; wherein the at least one grid element is operable to transmit the settlement grade data to the settlement processor via an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) head end; and wherein the settlement message includes revenue grade metrology associated with each of the at least one grid element.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the revenue grade metrology is provided in kilowatt packet (KWP) units, wherein the KWP units are units of kilowatts with respect to a unit of time.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the network is an IP-based network.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more grid elements aggregate and/or integrate through one of the at least one grid element acting as a master grid element and/or a virtual grid element, wherein participation of the one of the at least one grid element is representative of participation of the one or more grid elements. wherein each of the one or more grid elements transforms into sub-grid elements upon the aggregation and/or the integration, wherein the settlement message includes information for a unique financial settlement that corresponds to each sub-grid element.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more grid elements includes a smart meter, the smart meter providing functions to track and communicate data associated with at least one of a thermostat, a building control system, an HVAC system, and/or any other system that provides for controlling or indicating environmental conditions including humidity, temperature, lighting, or security.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one coordinator is constructed and configured for communication with a legacy settlement processor via a translator.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the legacy settlement processor accesses or references a location-based marginal price for the participation of each of the at least one grid element in the electric power grid network associated with a resource node and/or a load zone corresponding to each grid attachment point.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address is assigned to each of the at least one grid element.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the market-based financial settlement includes real-time measurement of actual participation by each of the at least one grid element and/or losses associated with transmission, distribution, and/or resource nodes.
 10. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one resource settlement point, wherein the at least one resource settlement point provides for grid element mobility for the market-based financial settlement at more than one location within the electric power grid network.
 11. A system for market-based financial settlement of transactions within an electric power grid network comprising: a settlement processor; and at least one coordinator; wherein the settlement processor comprises a server and/or a processor operatively coupled with a memory, and a database constructed and configured for communication via a network with the at least one coordinator; wherein the at least one coordinator is constructed and configured for network communication with at least one grid element that is registered to participate within the electric power grid network; wherein one of the at least one grid element aggregates revenue grade metrology from another one of the at least one grid element and generates information for the market-based financial settlement for each of the at least one grid element, wherein the information includes a unit containing information for a market-based financial settlement; wherein the at least one grid element is operable to transmit the settlement grade data to the settlement processor via an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) head end; and wherein a settlement message is transmitted from the one of the at least one grid element to the settlement processor and/or the at least one coordinator in approximately 15-minute intervals.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one unit includes a kilowatt packet (KWP) unit, wherein the KWP unit is a unit of kilowatts with respect to a unit of time.
 13. The system of claim 11 wherein the network is an IP-based network.
 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the settlement message is transmitted via an IP-based message from the one of the at least one grid element to the settlement processor and/or the at least one coordinator.
 15. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one coordinator provides a master settlement message wherein individual messages from each of the at least one grid element are aggregated to form a power trade block (PTB).
 16. A system for market-based financial settlement of transactions within an electric power grid network comprising: a settlement processor; and at least one coordinator; wherein at least one master grid element is operable to aggregate revenue grade metrology data corresponding to at least one event performed within the electric power grid network by a plurality of grid elements and the master grid element after the at least one event is performed within the electric power grid network; wherein the at least one coordinator is operable to receive the aggregated revenue grade metrology data from at least one master grid element, wherein the aggregated revenue grade metrology data corresponds to participation of a plurality of grid elements and the master grid element in the electric power grid; wherein the at least one coordinator and/or the at least one master grid element is operable to send a settlement message to the settlement processor; wherein the settlement message includes the revenue grade metrology data associated with at least one of the at least one master grid element and the plurality of grid elements; wherein the at least one grid element is operable to transmit the settlement grade data to the settlement processor via an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) head end; and wherein the settlement processor is operable to provide a financial settlement based on the revenue grade metrology data.
 17. The system of claim 16 wherein the settlement message includes a kilowatt packet (KWP) unit, a power supply value (PSV) unit, a power trading block (PTB) unit, or combinations thereof associated with at least one of the at least one master grid element or the plurality of grid elements.
 18. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the at least one master grid element or the plurality of grid elements has a home location identifier and a non-home location identifier, wherein the market-based financial settlement includes factors and attributes for grid element participation associated with the home location identifier and with the non-home location identifier.
 19. The system of claim 16, further including at least one resource settlement point providing for grid element mobility for the market-based financial settlement at more than one location within the electric power grid network.
 20. The system of claim 16, wherein the performance of at least one event within the electric power grid network enables at least one of the plurality of grid elements to provide operating reserves and/or grid stabilization for the electric power grid network. 